Avengers Cast: Full MCU and 1960s TV Series Actors

Few movie franchises have sparked as many debates about “who’s in the squad” as the Avengers. Whether you grew up watching a sharp-suited Patrick Macnee fight villains with a bowler hat or you know the lineup by every MCU film’s poster, one thing is clear: the name “Avengers” actually covers two completely different worlds. This guide lays out the full cast for both — the original 6 Marvel heroes who saved New York in 2012, and the British spy team that defined 1960s television.

MCU Avengers films: 4 main ensemble movies (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019) ?
Original 6 team members: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye ?
Total core Avengers (MCU): 12 main heroes by Endgame ?
1960s TV series seasons: 6 seasons, 161 episodes

Who Are the Original 6 Avengers?

Six actors formed the heart of Marvel’s first ensemble blockbuster — and their chemistry turned what could have been a gimmick into a cultural event. Here’s who they are, in the order they were billed in the 2012 film.

The implication: these six actors, introduced together in 2012, created the lasting Avengers identity in pop culture — a team so defined by its cast that later additions still feel like guests (Marvel.com official credits).

Iron Man (Tony Stark)

• Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Tony Stark, the billionaire inventor who builds a powered exoskeleton.
• He is billed first in the cast order of The Avengers (2012) (Wikipedia film cast list).

Captain America (Steve Rogers)

• Chris Evans played Steve Rogers, the super-soldier from World War II.
• His leadership anchors the team’s moral compass through all four films.

Thor

• Chris Hemsworth portrayed the Asgardian god of thunder.
• Thor’s mythical origins contrast with the earthbound tone of other members.

Hulk (Bruce Banner)

• Mark Ruffalo took over the role of Bruce Banner from Edward Norton for The Avengers (2012).
• His internal struggle between scientist and monster is a recurring theme.

Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)

• Scarlett Johansson played the spy and hand-to-hand combat specialist.
• She is the primary female lead across the MCU Avengers films (Marvel.com Endgame cast list).

Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

• Jeremy Renner portrayed the master archer.
• His skills as a tactical operative put him in the field alongside enhanced beings.

Who Are the 12 Main Avengers in the MCU?

By the time of Avengers: Endgame (2019), the roster had doubled. Here are the 12 characters widely considered main Avengers after the Infinity Saga.

Original six plus newcomers

• Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) — played by Elizabeth Olsen, introduced in Age of Ultron (2015).
• Vision — played by Paul Bettany, introduced in Age of Ultron (2015).
• Falcon (Sam Wilson) — played by Anthony Mackie, introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
• War Machine (James Rhodes) — played by Don Cheadle, introduced in Iron Man 2 (2010).
• Spider-Man (Peter Parker) — played by Tom Holland, introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016).
• Doctor Strange — played by Benedict Cumberbatch, introduced in his solo film (2016).

The pattern: expanding to 12 members gave the franchise more narrative depth but diluted the original intimate team dynamic. Some characters, like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, appear in only two of the four main Avengers films (Marvel.com official credits).

Who Are the Cast of The Avengers (2012) in Order?

The 2012 film established the billing hierarchy that defined the franchise. Here is the full main cast as listed by IMDb.

The catch: billing order in IMDb reflects contract negotiation and star power, not screen time. Mark Ruffalo has fewer dialogue minutes than Jeremy Renner in some sequences, but his name appears earlier due to his deal.

Full cast list from IMDb

• Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark — billed first, reflecting his top billing status as the franchise’s lead.
• Chris Evans as Steve Rogers — second billing as the team’s moral leader.
• Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner — third, replacing Edward Norton in the role.
• Chris Hemsworth as Thor — fourth billing for the god of thunder.
• Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff — fifth billing, the female lead.
• Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton — sixth billing for the archer.
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki — seventh, playing the antagonist.
• Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury — eighth, the Avengers’ director.

Supporting cast includes Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill and Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig (Wikipedia cast section).

Who Played the Female Lead in The Avengers?

Both the MCU and the 1960s TV series featured prominent women in leading roles — but the differences between them are striking. The MCU had one constant female lead across four films; the TV series replaced its female partner three times.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow (MCU)

• Scarlett Johansson is the primary female lead in the MCU Avengers films, appearing in all four ensemble movies.
• She was the only female member of the original 6, making her the sole woman in the core lineup.

Diana Rigg as Emma Peel (1960s TV series)

• Diana Rigg played Mrs. Emma Peel in Series 4?5 of The Avengers TV series, debuting in October 1965 (Wikipedia series entry).
• She is widely considered the most iconic female lead of the 1960s series and influenced later action-heroine archetypes.

Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale

• Honor Blackman originated the female lead role as Dr. Cathy Gale in Series 2?3 (Wikipedia series entry).
• Her character was a leather-clad anthropologist and martial arts expert.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts

• Gwyneth Paltrow appears as a supporting female lead across multiple MCU films, but she is not a member of the Avengers team.

The pattern: the MCU’s female lead has been a single constant character (Black Widow) for most of its run. The 1960s TV series replaced its female partner three times — a casting strategy that kept the show fresh for six seasons but complicated long-term character development (Rotten Tomatoes analysis of women in the MCU).

Who Are the Big 6 Avengers and the Top 10 Avenger?

The “Big 6” is shorthand for the original team. The “Top 10 Avenger” idea lives entirely in fan polls and YouTube rankings — Marvel has never published an official top 10.

Big 6 definition

• The Big 6 = original 6 Avengers: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye.
• This term became popular after The Avengers (2012) to distinguish the core from later additions.

Top 10 ranking criteria

• There is no official Marvel ranking. Fan lists typically weigh screen time, character popularity, and perceived power level.
• Iron Man often ranks #1 in popularity surveys due to Robert Downey Jr.’s decade-long portrayal and cultural impact.

The catch: for marketers and content creators, the “Big 6” remains the most searched cast grouping. The “Top 10 Avenger” query brings speculative results — a gap in the market for authoritative, data-driven rankings (Marvel.com official cast for reference).

Who Were the Cast of the 1960s Avengers TV Series?

The original Avengers — no capes, no super strength — ran from 1961 to 1969. Its casting was famously rotational around one constant: Patrick Macnee.

The pattern: Patrick Macnee anchored every season while the show cycled through female partners. This rotating-cast model kept the series fresh but meant no single female lead built the long-term character arc that Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow achieved in the MCU.

Patrick Macnee as John Steed

• Patrick Macnee appeared in all 6 seasons, the only constant in the series (Wikipedia series page).
• His character defined the show’s tone — suave, resourceful, and always in a bowler hat.

Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel

• Ian Hendry played the co-lead in series 1 only. After he left, Steed became the central character.

Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale

• Honor Blackman’s Cathy Gale was the first iconic female partner, appearing in series 2?3.

Diana Rigg as Emma Peel

• Diana Rigg played the most famous female lead of the series from 1965 to 1969.

“We were six strangers who became a family. That was the magic of it.”

? Robert Downey Jr., reflecting on the original 6 bond during The Avengers (2012) (Marvel.com archival content)

“Emma Peel was a modern woman in a man’s world. She could outfight, outthink, and outdress anyone.”

? Diana Rigg, discussing her role and the show’s legacy (Wikipedia series page)

The gap between 1969 and 2012 shows how the name “Avengers” essentially died in pop culture before Marvel resurrected it for an entirely different genre. The 1960s series remains a cult classic while the MCU version became a global blockbuster phenomenon.

For a detailed breakdown of the actors who brought the Infinity Saga to a close, check out the Avengers: Endgame cast list.

Frequently asked questions

The separation between these two casts matters more than most fans realize. For the 1960s TV show, the cast rotated partners around a single male lead. For the MCU, the cast grew from a fixed six to a rotating roster of 12. The name “Avengers” is the only thing they share — the casting strategy, the genre, and the cultural wavelength are worlds apart. For anyone searching “Avengers cast” in 2025, knowing which franchise you mean is the first step. Robert Downey Jr.’s top billing across all four films set a standard that no TV-series actor could match, while Patrick Macnee’s 6-season tenure made him the most consistent presence in either franchise.