Marvel's The Avengers (classified under the nameMarvel Avengers Assemblein the United Kingdom and Ireland), or simplyThe Avengers, is a 2012 Americansuperhero filmbased on theMarvel Comics Superhero teamof the same name, produced byMarvel Studiosand distributed byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It isthe sixth filmin theMarvel Cinematic Universe. The film was written and directed byJoss Whedonand features anensemble castthat includesRobert Downey Jr.,Chris Evans,Mark Ruffalo,Chris Hemsworth,Scarlett Johansson,Jeremy Renner,Tom Hiddleston,Clark Gregg,Cobie Smulders,Stellan Skarsgård, andSamuel L. Jackson. In the film,Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organizationS.H.I.E.L.D., recruitsIron Man,Captain America, theHulk, andThorto form a team that must stop Thor's brotherLokifrom subjugating Earth. The budget of the film was 220 million dollars and the box office was 1.520 billion dollars.
PLOT
TheAsgardianLokiencounters the Other, the leader of an extraterrestrial race known as theChitauri. In exchange for retrieving the Tesseract, a powerful energy source of unknown potential, the Other promises Loki an army with which he can subjugate Earth.Nick Fury, director of the espionage agencyS.H.I.E.L.D., and his lieutenant AgentMaria Hillarrive at a remoteresearch facilityduring an evacuation, where physicist Dr.Erik Selvigis leading a research team experimenting on the Tesseract. AgentPhil Coulsonexplains that the object has begun radiating an unusual form of energy. The Tesseract suddenly activates and opens awormhole, allowing Loki to reach Earth. Loki takes the Tesseract and uses his scepter to enslave Selvig and a couple of agents, includingClint Barton, to aid him in his getaway.
In response to the attack, Fury reactivates the "Avengers Initiative". AgentNatasha Romanoffis sent toCalcuttato recruitDr. Bruce Bannerto trace the Tesseract through itsgamma radiationemissions. Coulson visitsTony Starkto have him review Selvig's research, and Fury approachesSteve Rogerswith an assignment to retrieve the Tesseract.
InStuttgart, Barton stealsiridiumneeded to stabilize the Tesseract's power while Loki causes a distraction, leading to a confrontation with Rogers, Stark, and Romanoff that ends with Loki's surrender. While Loki is being escorted to S.H.I.E.L.D.,Thor, his adoptive brother, arrives and frees him, hoping to convince him to abandon his plan and return to Asgard. After a confrontation with Stark and Rogers, Thor agrees to take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, theHelicarrier. There Loki is imprisoned while Banner and Stark attempt to locate the Tesseract.
The Avengers become divided, both over how to approach Loki and the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. plans to harness the Tesseract to develop weapons as a deterrent against hostile extraterrestrials. As the group argues, Barton and Loki's other possessed agents attack the Helicarrier, disabling its engines in flight and causing Banner to transform into the Hulk. Stark and Rogers try to restart the damaged engine, and Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage. Romanoff fights Barton, and knocks him unconscious, breaking Loki's mind control. Loki escapes after killing Coulson and ejecting Thor from the airship, while the Hulk falls to the ground after attacking a S.H.I.E.L.D. fighter jet. Fury uses Coulson's death to motivate the Avengers into working as a team. Stark and Rogers realize that for Loki, simply defeating them will not be enough; he needs to overpower them publicly to validate himself as ruler of Earth. Loki uses the Tesseract, in conjunction with a device Selvig built, to open a wormhole aboveStark Towerto the Chitauri fleet in space, launching his invasion.
The Avengers rally in defense of New York City, the wormhole's location, but quickly realize they will be overwhelmed as wave after wave of Chitauri descend upon Earth. Banner arrives and transforms into the Hulk, and together he, Rogers, Stark, Thor, Barton, and Romanoff battle the Chitauri while evacuating civilians. The Hulk finds Loki and beats him into submission. Romanoff makes her way to the wormhole generator, where Selvig, freed of Loki's control, reveals that Loki's scepter can be used to shut down the generator. Meanwhile, Fury's superiors attempt to end the invasion by launching a nuclear missile atMidtown Manhattan. Stark intercepts the missile and takes it through the wormhole toward the Chitauri fleet. The missile detonates, destroying the Chitauri mothership and disabling their forces on Earth. Stark's suit runs out of power, and he falls back through the wormhole just as Romanoff closes it. Stark goes into freefall, but the Hulk saves him from crashing to the ground. In the aftermath, Thor returns Loki and the Tesseract to Asgard, while Fury expresses confidence that the Avengers will return if and when they are needed.
In a mid-credits scene, the Other confers withhis master about the failed attack on Earth. In apost-credits scene, the Avengers eat in silence at ashawarmarestaurant.
CAST
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanof / Black Widow
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson
Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill
Stellan Skargård as Dr. Erik Selvig
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
