The Avengers have become such a defining part of pop culture that even casual Marvel viewers can identify the franchise’s most recognizable heroes. But before Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and the rest of the cast became synonymous with their MCU characters, they were simply actors trying to win the right roles. Looper’s video above revisits their audition appearances, revealing just how different — and occasionally familiar — they looked before becoming superheroes.
Some stars seemed destined for their Marvel parts from the beginning. Robert Downey Jr., for example, already shared Tony Stark’s confident presence, even without the character’s signature grooming. Chris Evans also brought plenty of superhero credibility to his Captain America audition after playing Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in 2005’s “Fantastic Four” and its 2007 follow-up, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Even so, several future Avengers look surprisingly unlike their finished on-screen personas in the early footage.
It’s a busy year for the Avengers
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
With “Avengers: Endgame Encore” making a major impact at the box office and three notable post-credits scenes linking the film to the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” Marvel’s flagship superhero team remains firmly in the spotlight. It’s easy to forget that not every actor who helped build the Avengers franchise was a household name when the casting process began. Tom Holland is a prime example. Before making his Spider-Man debut in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” Holland was best known for movies such as “The Impossible” and “In the Heart of the Sea” — respected projects, but a far cry from leading multiple MCU blockbusters, including the box-office record-setter “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Holland’s transformation may be especially striking, but he is far from the only Avengers star who looked markedly different before joining the Marvel universe. For a closer look at the actors during their auditions — before these roles turned them into global stars — watch Looper’s video above.
