The ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe has consisted of familiar faces for over a decade. It began with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and soon, audiences will see Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and more return to their MCU personas.
But it’s easy to forget that Downey Jr., Larson, and their fellow Avengers were not always the superheroes fans know them to be. Now that Phase 4 has been completed and Phase 5 and 6 are underway, it’s as good a time as ever to look at the big names behind The Avengers. Before they picked up their hammers, shields, and bow & arrows to save the MCU, many got their starts in children’s fantasy movies, soap operas, and stage plays worldwide.
Robert Downey Jr. — ‘Pound’ (1970)
In 2008, Iron Man began a decade-long introduction into the MCU. With the final tragic events of Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man’s sacrifice concluded that same era. The character and actor are one and the same after years of putting on that tech suit and delivering memorable lines like “I am Iron Man.”
Downey Jr. wasn’t always the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist fans know him to be. In the actor’s first acting role, he played “Puppy” in the 1970 fantasy-comedy film Pound. And the character’s name is not too far off either, since Downey Jr. was just five years old in his cinematic debut, directed by his father, Robert Downey Sr.
Elizabeth Olsen — ‘How the West Was Fun’ (1994)
Before her first appearance as Wanda Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Elizabeth Olsen had built quite the portfolio of accredited movie and TV roles. She received critical acclaim with her first significant role as the titular character in Martha Marcy Marlene (2011).
But the actress’s first acting jobs placed her besides those other famous Olsens, her older sisters, Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen. At the age of four, Olsen had small parts in the children’s films How the West Was Fun and The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, both released in 1994.
Chris Evans — ‘Biodiversity: Wild About Life!’ (1997)
Throughout the early aughts, Chris Evans was a favorite pick for teen dramedies like Not Another Teen Movie and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. But his earliest (credited) role was a bit less glamorous and more educational; Biodiversity: Wild about Life!
The then-16-year–old starred in a short 1997 docu-drama “about four teenagers who discover the value of the variety of life on earth.” As it turns out, Captain America is not the only character Evans has played who hopes to save the world.
Chris Hemsworth — ‘Neighbours’ (2002)
Years before playing the MCU’s God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth went down the path many aspiring actors take — a small part in a soap opera. In 2002, Hemsworth secured the part of Jamie Kane in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
This wouldn’t be the first melodrama he acted in, though, and he joined the cast of Home and Away for four years. A few years later, Hemsworth broke into the American acting scene (eventually wielding mighty Thor’s hammer in 2011).
Jeremy Renner — ‘National Lampoon’s Senior Trip’ (1995)
Teamwork is essential to being an Avenger, as evident by the MCU’s ever-growing ensemble cast. Hawkeye star Jeremy Renner is no stranger to ensemble casts; he led a motley crew of high schoolers in the 1995 comedy National Lampoon’s Senior Trip.
Although the movie was a notable failure amongst critics — with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 0 percent — Renner’s career was just getting started. He even appeared in the music video for P!nk’s hit 2003 song “Trouble” — though it’s hard to imagine his arrow-wielding counterpart doing so.
Scarlett Johansson — ‘North’ (1994)
Like many of her fellow Marvel costars, Scarlett Johansson got her start in the industry at a young age. Although she initially appeared on stage in an off-broadway play, Johansson’s first credit is in the 1994 fantasy film North. She was only nine years old at the time.
Considered to be a bomb critically and commercially, Johansson’s small part placed her on-screen with then-child star Elijah Wood (playing the titular character), Bruce Willis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and more. In just a few short years, Johansson began raking in numerous awards and nominations for her work in more reputable films — including some for her work with The Avengers.
Tom Holland — “Billy Elliot” on Broadway (2009)
Tom Holland’s quick-witted boyish charms are a staple of his Spider-Man portrayal and a reason for the character’s continued fanbase. These same traits helped Holland enter the world of acting almost a decade prior.
At just 11 years old, the young actor took on the titular role in the stage play “Billy Elliot.” He remained there for two years and developed impressive acting, singing, and dancing skills. It wasn’t long before Holland landed his first role in a disaster film, The Impossible. And soon enough, he was suiting up to become the MCU’s teenage Spider-Man.
Mark Ruffalo — CBS Summer Playhouse (1989)
Fans will remember that The Hulk looked a bit different before Mark Ruffalo signed on as The Hulk. In 2010 Marvel announced that, despite Sam Rockwell’s portrayal of the Incredible Hulk, they were searching for “an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of [his] other talented cast members.” So despite not having his own standalone movie canon in the MCU, Ruffalo’s Hulk is a beloved member of the Avengers with credits throughout the different phases.
Similarly, Ruffalo’s early roles were small but mighty, beginning with a guest role on CBS Summer Playhouse in 1989. Over the next decade, Ruffalo’s growing portfolio of roles included slasher films, crime dramas, Westerns, and several stage plays.
Anthony Mackie — ‘8 Mile’ (2002)
Whether he’s known as Sam Wilson, the Falcon, or the new Captain America, Anthony Mackie is an integral part of The Avengers. That being said, he’s worked closely with his fellow team members throughout the MCU.
When he was just getting started, Mackie was cast as the understudy to fellow Avenger Don Cheadle in the 2002 play “Topdog/Underdog.” That same year, he broke into the film scene as Papa Doc in 8 Mile, playing an antagonist to rapper Jimmy “B-Rabbit” (Eminem). Mackie has certainly found success with his Marvel character, but the actor has dominated the industry since the beginning.
Paul Rudd — ‘Sisters’ (1992)
When director Edgar Wright was initially planning out the first Ant-Man movie, he wanted to keep it as a simple, standalone story. That never happened, of course, since Ant-Man (Rudd) would go on to help The Avengers recover the Infinity Stones after the events of Avengers: Endgame — making him an official member.
Rudd’s natural charisma and comedic relief are often shown in the MCU, but his first role was quite the opposite. In 1992, he was a recurring guest on the drama series Sisters as Kirby, an aspiring filmmaker who runs into trouble along the way. Rudd eventually joined the main cast a few years later, however, true fans know that his name really gained traction by starring opposite Alicia Silverstone in Clueless (1995).
Paul Bettany — ‘Gangster No. 1’ (2000)
Marvel fans are most familiar with Paul Bettany as Vision. But long before suiting up to become the MCU’s all-knowing synthezoid, Bettany was a well-known theater actor.
At just 19 years old, Bettany made his debut on the West End in London, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Perhaps these early Shakespearean roles inspired Bettany’s portrayal of Vision, who provides a level of philosophical contemplation for his fellow Avengers. Off the stage, he had small parts in numerous British films but gained attention for playing the lead role in the British crime drama Gangster No. 1.
Don Cheadle — ‘Moving Violations’ (1985)
Since being recast as James Rhodes in Iron Man 2, Cheadle appeared in character throughout the MCU — seven movies to be exact. With a small part in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he will return as War Machine once again in the upcoming Disney+ series, Armor Wars.
However, twelve years of being an Avenger has nothing on Cheadle’s long career. Best known for starring in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) and Hotel Rwanda (2004), he first came onto the scene in a small role for the 1985 comedy,Moving Violations — and that was just the beginning for this seasoned actor.
Brie Larson — ‘Raising Dad’ (2001)
Filming for The Marvels is now underway, and Brie Larson is getting ready to pick up Captain America’s suit and bracelet once again. Larson made history playing Carol Danvers in the MCU’s first female-led movie and once said that the role was “worth it if [she] can bring understanding and confidence to young women.”
When she was a young woman, Larson acted alongside Bob Saget as his daughter in the short-lived series Raising Dad. And if the Marvel Universe couldn’t get any smaller, Kat Dennings (aka Darcy Lewis) played Larson’s sister on the show.
