The five films before this one were an argument that these people would never work together, and this is the film where they have to.
Nothing quite like this had been attempted: five films with separate tones, separate directors and separate audiences, converging on one story without any of them being reduced to a cameo in it.
The film knows that the fight is not the interesting part. The interesting part is the middle hour, where the team is assembled, confined to one flying room, and allowed to be insufferable to each other. Almost everything the next decade does with these characters is set up in that hour.
Show detailsWhy this changed how films get made
This is the moment the shared universe stopped being a promise in a post-credits scene and became a commercial fact. Nearly every studio attempt at a connected series since has been measured against it, and most of them have tried to arrive at this film without making the five that earn it.
That order is the whole trick. It is also why this guide keeps insisting on release order for a first watch.
Who is in it
- Bruce BannerHulkEdward Norton, Mark Ruffalo
- Clint BartonHawkeyeJeremy Renner
- Loki LaufeysonGod of MischiefTom Hiddleston
- Natasha RomanoffBlack WidowScarlett Johansson
- Nick FuryDirector of S.H.I.E.L.D.Samuel L. Jackson
- Pepper PottsRescueGwyneth Paltrow
- Steve RogersCaptain AmericaChris Evans
- ThanosThe Mad TitanJosh Brolin
- Thor OdinsonThorChris Hemsworth
- Tony StarkIron ManRobert Downey Jr.
How it connects
Watching these first makes this one land.
Sources
Facts last checked on Sep 7, 2026
Released: May 4, 2012