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 * sandbox for List of Marvel Cinematic Universe characters

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an shared universe media franchise by Marvel Studios that centers on characters that exist in Marvel Comics continuity.

Avengers
The Avengers are the primary focused team of protagonist superheros of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that are based on the comic book superhero team of the same name that were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Being forshadowed as early as in the 2008 film, Iron Man, where the "Avengers Initiative" was referenced by Nick Fury in a post-credit scene. The original roster first appeared in the 2012 film, The Avengers, written and directed by Joss Whedon which focuses on the origin story of the team. Cast team members include Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man,Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.
 * A sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, written and directed by Whedon, was released on May 1, 2015. The film features all the Avengers returning from the first film, and introduce new team members the Scarlet Witch, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen, Quicksilver, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and the Vision, played by Paul Bettany. At the end of Age of Ultron, a new roster of Avengers is established which includes Captain America, the Black Widow, the Scarlet Witch, the Falcon (portrayed by Anthony Mackie), the Vision, and War Machine (portrayed by Don Cheadle).
 * The new Avengers roster appears in Captain America: Civil War, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and released on May 6, 2016. In Civil War, the team is fractured into two opposing groups, one led by Captain America and the other by Iron Man. Captain America's group consists of himself, Hawkeye, the Falcon, the Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), while Iron Man's group consists of himself, War Machine, the Black Widow, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and the Vision.
 * The Avengers, broken up in the fallout of the events of Civil War, appear again in Avengers: Infinity War, also directed by the Russo brothers and released on April 27, 2018. In this film, they join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Wong (Benedict Wong), Spider-Man, the Winter Soldier, Black Panther and the army of Wakanda to stop the alien Thanos (Josh Brolin) as he attempts to claim the Infinity Stones. Their campaign fails as Thanos acquires all six Stones and kills half the universe, including almost all of the Guardians and several Avengers, leaving the original six Avengers, War Machine, Nebula (Karen Gillan), and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper).
 * Avengers: Endgame was released on April 26, 2019. In the five-year jump since the events of Infinity War, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Nebula and Rocket join the Avengers after they discover that Thanos has destroyed the Infinity Stones to prevent anyone undoing his victory. After five years, Ant-Man is revealed to have escaped the Snap through being trapped in the quantum realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, and joins the team with a proposition that they retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past in order to restore the damage made by Thanos, using Lang's experience with the quantum realm to devise a means of travelling in time. The restored Avengers and allies appear in the final battle against Thanos, including Doctor Strange, Wong, Spider-Man, the Scarlet Witch, the Falcon, the Winter Soldier, the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Black Panther, Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Okoye (Danai Gurira), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), Miek, Howard the Duck and Kraglin (Sean Gunn). At the end, the only remaining original Avengers are Hulk and Hawkeye, as both Black Widow and Iron Man die, Thor joins the Guardians, and Captain America passes his shield and mantle to Falcon, making him his successor after he decice to return back to 1940s to live the rest of his life with Peggy Carter.

Tony Stark
Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name–commonly known by his alter ego, Iron Man. In the films, Stark is an industrialist, genius inventor, hero and former playboy who is CEO of Stark Industries. At the beginning of the series, he is a chief weapons manufacturer for the U.S. military, until he has a change of heart and redirects his technical knowledge into the creation of mechanized suits of armor which he uses to defend against those that would threaten peace around the world.

, the character was one of the central figures of the MCU, having appeared in eleven films from his introduction in Iron Man, up to Spider-Man: Far From Home. In 2015, the evolution of the character over the series was described as "the defining arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe". In 2018, it was argued that "no other character goes on as transformative a journey as Iron Man". The Iron Man character and Downey's performance has been credited with helping to cement the MCU as a multi-billion dollar franchise, with Stark often being considered "the godfather of the Marvel Cinematic Universe" and one of the greatest film characters of all time.

Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner (portrayed originally by Edward Norton and currently by Mark Ruffalo) - based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name — known commonly by his alter ego, the Hulk. He first appearance is in The Incredible Hulk in 2008. Dr. Banner is a renowned physicist who subjected himself to a gamma radiation experiment designed to replicate a World War II-era "super soldier" program. The experiment failed, and now causes Banner to transform into a green, hulking beast whenever his heart rate goes above 200 bpm or if he is placed in mortal danger. The Hulk is incredibly strong and throughout most of the films he acts largely on the instinct of self-preservation, attacking anything that he perceives as a threat. Over time, Banner demonstrated an increasing ability to control the transformation, calling the Hulk at will, but was generally not able to recall events during the time he was in that form. The Hulk, conversely, became increasingly aware of Banner and able to stall the transformation back – one time staying in Hulk form for two years, becoming able to speak with others and control his destructive rage. Eventually, Banner was able to merge with the Hulk, combining Banner's mind and personality with the Hulk's body and strength. , the character is one of the central figures of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having appeared in eight films of the series.

Thor
Thor Odinson (portrayed by Chris Hemsworth) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name which in itself is based on the mythological god. He first appeared in the 2011 film ,Thor. In the films, Thor is known as the "God of Thunder", and is one of the most powerful of the Asgardians, an alien civilization with long ties to Earth, who are therefore considered by some on Earth to be gods.

Thor's character has borrowed a number of characteristics and story lines from across the more than fifty-year history of the character in Marvel Comics. Unlike his comic book version, however, MCU Thor has no superhero "alter ego". The Asgardians have advanced science that seems like magic to the people of Earth, as shown by Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, which can channel Thor's ability to wield lightning. After Mjölnir is destroyed in the events of Thor: Ragnarok, however, Thor himself helps forge Stormbreaker, an axe channeling the Bifrost, allowing him to effectively travel across the universe at will. This is another point of difference between the films and the comic books, where Stormbreaker was forged under the command of Thor's father, Odin.

, the character is a central figure of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having appeared in eight films of the series (including a brief cameo in Doctor Strange). Although the first two Thor films have been among the less well-liked films in the MCU canon, Thor: Ragnarok, with its substantial reinvention of the character, has been held up as one of the best Marvel films. Following its release, a reviewer from The Mary Sue has argued that Thor "has the best character arc of nearly every other MCU character, including costars Tony Stark and Steve Rogers".

Clint Barton
Clinton Barton (portrayed by Jeremy Renner) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and known commonly by his code name, Hawkeye. In the films, Barton is an expert marksman and hand-to-hand combatant, with his preferred weapon being a compound bow.

, the character is one of the central figures of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having appeared in five films of the series.

Jeremy Renner portrays Barton in the films, beginning with an uncredited cameo appearance in the 2011 live-action film Thor. Renner reprises the role in 2012's The Avengers, 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2016's Captain America: Civil War, and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. He was initially to appear in a fight scene with Captain America in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) but it was scrapped due to his other filming commitments. Renner initially said he would appear in Avengers: Infinity War, but did not make the theatrical cut. During the events of that film, he is mentioned, along with Scott Lang, as being under house arrest. He appeared in 2019's Avengers: Endgame,  initially with a new appearance, visually similar to that of Ronin from the comics.

Barton, with the alter ego of Hawkeye, was introduced as a reluctant villain, in Tales of Suspense #57 (September 1964). After two more appearances as a villain in Tales of Suspense #60 and #64 (December 1964 and April 1965), Hawkeye joined the ranks of the Avengers in Avengers #16 (May 1965). He then became a perennial member of the team.

In the mid-2000's, after initially offering the role of Barton to Jensen Ackles, who had auditioned for the part of Captain America, Marvel hired Jeremy Renner to portray the character on screen.

In April 2019, a limited series focused on Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton / Hawkeye was reported to be in development, with the plot involving Barton passing the mantle of Hawkeye to the character Kate Bishop. The series was officially announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con, with the plot taking place following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Hawkeye is set to premiere in late 2021, with Jonathan Igla serving as the series' showrunner. In September 2019, Hailee Steinfeld was announced to be in consideration to portray Kate Bishop.

A master archer working as an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. Renner said it was a very physical role and that he trained physically and practiced archery as much as possible in preparation. About the role, Renner said, "When I saw Iron Man, I thought that was a really kick-ass approach to superheroes. Then they told me about this Hawkeye character, and I liked how he wasn't really a superhero; he's just a guy with a high skill set. I could connect to that". Regarding Hawkeye's sniper mentality, Renner said, "It's a lonely game. He's an outcast. His only connection is to Scarlett's character, Natasha. It's like a left hand/right hand thing. They coexist, and you need them both, especially when it comes to a physical mission". Renner said Hawkeye is not insecure about his humanity. "Quite the opposite, he's the only one who can really take down the Hulk with his [tranquilizer-tipped] arrows. He knows his limitations. But when it comes down to it, there has to be a sense of confidence in any superhero". Renner earned $2-3 million for the film.

Whedon said that Hawkeye interacts more with the other characters in Age of Ultron, as opposed to the first Avengers film where the character had been "possessed pretty early by a bad guy and had to walk around all scowly". As the character did not appear in any other of Marvel's Phase Two films, Whedon stated Age of Ultron sheds light on to what the character was doing since the end of The Avengers. Renner described the character as "kind of a loner" and "a team player only 'cause he sort of has to be. He's not really a company man. Captain America can be that guy. In [Age of Ultron] you'll understand why [Hawkeye] thinks the way he thinks".

In March 2015, Renner was revealed to be reprising his role as Barton in Captain America: Civil War. On Barton's reasons for joining Rogers' side, Renner said, "Cap was the first guy who called. Let's just get the job done so I can get home to the family", along with feeling an obligation to side with Scarlet Witch, since her brother, Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver, sacrificed himself to save Barton in Avengers: Age of Ultron. On how he and Barton fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Renner said, "I'm happy to be the ensemble. I'm not scratching or clawing to do a solo movie by any means ... I think [Barton's] a utility guy that can bounce around into other people's universes a little bit".

Stephen McFeely described Barton's dark turn in Avengers: Endgame as "a good example of people who had much stronger stories after the Snap". The film's cold open, which features the disintegration of Barton's family, was initially supposed to be in Infinity War following Thanos' snap, however it was moved to Endgame instead, with Markus explaining that it was "going to blunt the brutality of what [Thanos] did." Joe Russo felt it was "a very tragic scene to open the movie with. It's one of the few scenes in the movie that actually makes me tear up when I watch it, because I think about my own family... And then you think about what would happen to you, as a father. You'd become very self-destructive".

Barton first appears briefly in Thor as an SHIELD agent identified as Barton who arms himself with a bow and arrow, preparing to attempt to stop Thor from retrieving a fallen Mjolnir. In Avengers, Barton is initially subject to mind control by Loki, who uses him to attack the SHIELD helicarrier. Barton fights Natasha Romanoff, who knocks him out, breaking Loki's control. Barton then participates in the Battle of New York, helping to defeat Loki's army. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Barton is seriously injured battling Ultron, but healed by Dr. Helen Cho. The team later hides out at Barton's country house, where it is revealed that he has a wife and children. Barton participates in the Battle of Sokovia, where he convinces Wanda Maximoff to fully become an Avenger.

Barton then retires from the Avengers, but returns in Captain America: Civil War to side with Steve Rogers against the Sokovia Accords. He recruits Wanda Maximoff to join that side and participates in the Berlin airport fight. He is among the heroes captured at the end of the battle. He is imprisoned in the Raft, but later broken out by Rogers. He and Scott Lang negotiate deals with the U.S. government to turn themselves in, receiving a term of house arrest in exchange. Due to this status, Barton is not involved in defending the Earth from the initial attack by Thanos; when Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to snap his fingers and eliminate half of all life in the universe, Barton's wife and children are among those disintegrated. Barton then becomes a rogue warrior, slaughtering organized crime figures.

Five years after the snap, Romanoff finds a despondent Barton killing gangsters in Tokyo, and informs him that the Avengers have discovered a possible method of time travel, which would enable them to steal the Infinity Stones from the past and use them to restore those who had been lost in the snap. Barton volunteers to be the first to test the technology, and is transported to his country home prior to the disappearance of his family, briefly hearing the voice of his daughter before he is returned to the future. Barton and Romanoff travel to a past version of Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone, but its keeper, the Red Skull, reveals that the stone can only be acquired by a person sacrificing someone they love. After a brief struggle, Romanoff sacrifices herself, allowing Barton to claim the Soul Stone. After Hulk snaps the previously disintegrated people back into existence, Barton receives a phone call from his wife. Before he can answer, Thanos attacks the Avengers compound, and Barton finds the gauntlet and prevents the first wave of forces sent by Thanos from capturing it. He then participates in defending the Earth against this new attack until Tony Stark sacrifices his life to use the Infinity Gauntlet to disintegrate Thanos and his army. Barton and his family later attend Stark's funeral.

Screen Rant described Renner's portrayal of Barton as one of the casting decisions that helped the MCU, stating that "Renner channels the right amount of cynicism and earnestness to simultaneously shut down fan criticisms, recognize the ridiculousness of the premise, and somehow make it relatable".