Retro-Cast: Casting The Avengers Movie In The 2000s

It’s safe to say that the modern era of superhero films has literally changed the face of cinema forever. And, while the MCU has many movies in its franchise, one of its most iconic works is the very first Avengers film.

The MCU had seen a lot of success before the release of The Avengers, but the 2012 superhero crossover film brought Marvel to new heights. However, the Marvel Comics Universe existed for decades before that. So, if The Avengers had been made in the 2000s instead of the 2010s, who would have been the perfect casting choices for every major role?

10 Maria Hill – Michelle Monaghan

Although Maria Hill is a relatively small role in The Avengers, the character still requires a quite dynamic actress to play her. Maria needs to be a typical all-American girl with a badass edge, and the audience needs to be able to take her seriously as the kind of person who could go head to head against a superhuman and hold her own.

A tough but still emotionally resonant actress like Michelle Monaghan could easily embody all the facets of a character like Maria.

9 Phil Coulson – Bryan Cranston

While Bryan Cranston is obviously known best for playing Walter White in Breaking Bad, he’s a wonderful character actor who can play very tough characters but is also great at tapping into his sillier side.

While Agent Coulson is an essential part of SHIELD, he’s also a superhero super-fan at heart, and it would have been fun to see Cranston tap into that childish glee in a 00s version of The Avengers.

8 Nick Fury – Denzel Washington

Director Fury is actually a pretty tough role to cast, because while he is more of a supporting character who is the force behind the whole Avengers operation, it needs to be believable that the Avengers would actually take him seriously.

It’s easy to see why Samuel L. Jackson was chosen for the role in the contemporary films, but a super intense actor like Denzel Washington could just as convincingly play Fury in the 2000s.

7 Black Widow – Cate Blanchett

It took an embarrassingly long time for the MCU to begin to push its female characters into the spotlight, so when casting the lone female hero in The Avengers, it really needed to be a strong actress who would stand out in an ensemble of mostly men.

There’s no better actress to take on that massive task than Cate Blanchett, one of the most talented and transformative actresses of her generation.

6 Hawkeye – Jamie Foxx

One of the most entertaining aspects of The Avengers is that this is a superhero team with some edge to it, and few of the heroes in the original Avengers film has more edge to him than Hawkeye.

Clint Barton is both intimidating and witty, so someone with Jamie Foxx’s physical presence as well as his comedic instincts would have been a great casting choice.

5 Thor – Hugh Jackman

Obviously, few actors have made their mark on superhero cinema in the way that Hugh Jackman has, and it’s almost criminal to imagine anyone else playing Wolverine. However, it’s hard to deny that he’d also make a wonderful Thor in the 00s version of The Avengers.

Clearly, he has the physical stature to play the character, but exploring Jackman’s more humorous side as an actor would be a lot of fun too.

4 Iron Man – Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most respected actors of his generation, and since the blockbuster success of Titanic, he hasn’t really taken on many more mainstream roles in fluffier popcorn fare.

But, if anyone were to take on the role of Tony Stark in that era, it should have been Leo. He could obviously tackle Tony’s more serious side easily, but it would also be fun to see him play the more lighthearted sides of Iron Man as well.

3 Captain America – Aaron Eckhart

Although on the surface it seems like Steve Rogers is a bit of a corny goody two-shoes, the role of Captain America actually requires a lot more depth and nuance than it might seem at first glance.

Actor Aaron Eckhart obviously has that all-American look to him, but he’s also capable of playing the subtleties of Steve’s character in a heartfelt way without coming across as cheesy or insincere.

2 The Hulk – Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix has obviously hit a bit of a career high recently with his Academy Award-winning turn as Arthur Fleck in Joker, but his astonishing versatility as an actor has been readily apparent for decades earlier.

The Hulk is a character that can easily turn one-dimensional in the wrong hands, but Phoenix could undoubtedly play the character with all the emotion it requires. He knows when to reel it in and when to wear his heart on his sleeve, so watching him play the duality of this character would be wonderful.

1 Loki – Jim Carrey

The Avengers is a film with an apocalyptic premise, but it has a very humorous heart as well. The character of Loki needs to embody both of these ideas at once, so it’s hard to imagine an actor who’d better capture both sides of the film than Jim Carrey.

Carrey is obviously one of the most famous comedians alive, but he’s also an astoundingly talented dramatic actor, so he would have made a brilliant Loki.