Image: Legendary Pictures / Amblin Entertainment / The Kennedy/Marshall Company
About This Quiz
"The Avengers" series has been wowing movie audiences worldwide since the release of the first movie about the superhero team came out in 2012. Sure, we'd dipped our toes in the Marvel waters with the first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 (that's when "Iron Man" was released). But, prior to "The Avengers" in 2012, all we had were "The Avengers" comic books to keep us warm at night.
Since 2012, we've had three Avengers adventures to follow, including "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in 2015, "Avengers: Infinity War" in 2018 and the latest "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019. We've met new – and unusual – characters in these movies along the way, some of whom have inspired their own movies, like Black Panther, Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Star-Lord, leader of "Guardians of the Galaxy."
But, long before Robert Downey Jr. became the wise and wise-cracking Tony Stark and prior to Josh Brolin making all of us mad as Thanos, these celebrities had well-established careers with plenty of other movies beneath their (heavily armored) belts. Did you know that Scarlett Johansson voiced the role of Kaa in the live-action remake of "The Jungle Book?" Or, that Jeremy Renner received an Oscar nod for his role in "The Hurt Locker?" And, don't get us started on Samuel L. Jackson's filmography!
Could you recognize your Avengers favorites in their other roles? Use the photos and our cinematic clues to place the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd and Jon Favreau elsewhere in the Hollywood scene. In the words of Captain America, "Before we start, does anyone want to get out?" No? Good! Avengers fans, assemble!
Paul Rudd
Matt Damon
Tom Cruise
Chris Evans
Before he became Captain America, Chris Evans was Johnny Storm in the "Fantastic Four" franchise. Being Captain America of the Avengers turned out to be much more lucrative, with Evans reprising the role in nearly a dozen films.
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Clive Owen
Mark Ruffalo
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Sherlock Holmes in the 2009 film of the same name and, later, the sequel dubbed, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," two years later. It was a role that Downey ultimately won a Golden Globe for.
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Morgan Freeman
Jamie Foxx
Samuel L. Jackson
As Neville Flynn in "Snakes on a Plane," Samuel L. Jackson earned notoriety for a quote that we'll, um, censor for you: "I've had it with these !#$%&* snakes, on this !#$%&* plane!" Use your imagination.
Idris Elba
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Ryan Reynolds
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth has played some beefy Hollywood roles including the title character in 2011's "Thor," reprising it throughout the Avengers franchise. In between, he took on the role of Eric the Huntsman in both "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "The Huntsman: Winter's War."
Liam Hemsworth
Chris Evans
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Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Renner took center stage in the fourth installment of the "Bourne" series, but not as Jason Bourne. Renner played black ops agent Aaron Cross, whose real name was Kenneth James Kitsom. Confused yet?
Colin Firth
Jason Statham
Tobey Maguire
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Emma Thompson
Gwyneth Paltrow
Poor Gwyneth Paltrow! Her experiences with leading men are just awful! (OK, sarcasm off.) Paltrow has starred opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names, including Robert Downey, Brad Pitt and Joseph Fiennes.
Cate Blanchett
Nicole Kidman
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Scarlett Johansson
ScarJo, as her fans call her, played the role of Griet, illustrated in a famous painting by Johannes Vermeer. Though little is known of the actual painting subject, she has inspired both the creation of a novel and the 2003 film, "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
Charlize Theron
Cate Blanchett
Elizabeth Olsen
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Paul Rudd
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Ruffalo
"Shutter Island," a 2010 psychological thriller, was based on a book written by novelist Dennis Lehane. In the film adaptation, Ruffalo, who Avengers fans know as Bruce Banner/Hulk, plays a U.S. Marshal paired up with DiCaprio's Teddy Daniels.
Channing Tatum
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Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno just can't kick his association with the Hulk. He played the role on television before lending his voice to the role in several Avengers film. Prior to that, he played the title character in the 1983 release of "Hercules."
Tom Hardy
Dwayne Johnson
Ben Stiller
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Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd's depiction of a sexed-up field reporter in a 1970s newsroom happens alongside other Hollywood funny men Will Ferrell and Steve Carell. Rudd manages to bring some of that humor to his Avengers role as Ant-Man.
Liam Hemsworth
Joaquin Phoenix
Will Ferrell
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Ben Affleck
Josh Brolin
You might not recognize Josh Brolin as the villain Thanos; in fact, you may not recognize Brolin as "The Goonies'" Brandon Walsh, either. He was just 17 at the time the cult classic from the 1980s was filmed.
Alec Baldwin
Tom Hanks
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Bradley Cooper
Paul Bettany
Benedict Cumberbatch
Perhaps one of Benedict Cumberbatch's lesser-known roles, he played Dr. Alan Turing, the man who helped break Nazi encryptions during World War II in "The Imitation Game." The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
Nicolas Cage
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Johnny Depp
Jared Leto
Brad Pitt
Bradley Cooper
That Bradley Cooper can do a lot with his voice! Lending his pipes to snarky Rocket Raccoon in the Avengers franchise, he shows his depth by also singing (quite well, actually) opposite Lady Gaga in "A Star in Born."
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Zoe Saldana
You could say that Zoe Saldana is a colorful actress. In the smash hit, "Avatar," she played Neytiri, while she filled the role of the green-hued Gamora in "The Avengers." What color do blue and green make? Maybe that'll be her next role!
Penélope Cruz
Eva Mendes
Rosario Dawson
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Aaron Paul
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel won over millions with his lovable "I am Groot!" expression in a handful of MCU movies to date, but fans also enjoy him in "The Fast and the Furious" franchise, which dates back to 2001.
Dwayne Johnson
Jason Statham
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Michael B. Jordan
Tyler Perry
Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman made headlines as the first mainstream black superhero, but he was representing other pioneering figures long before that. He played Jackie Robinson in 2013's "42," named for Robinson's jersey number.
Denzel Washington
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Stan Lee
Anyone into comic books and Marvel knows who Stan Lee is. Even after his death in 2018, Lee had already filmed cameo scenes to appear in 2019's films. He is responsible for creating many of the characters known by audiences today.
Liam Neeson
Charlton Heston
Jim Sturgess
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Cameron Crowe
Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau has acting, producing and directing credentials for a majority of the recent Avengers titles, as well as other movies including "Elf." He starred as the doctor in a brief scene in this movie and also voiced the character known as Mr. Narwhal.
Christian Bale
Russell Crowe
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Natalie Portman
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen (yes, of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen clan) has built quite a successful acting career for herself since starring in 2011's "Silent House." She has reprised her role as the Scarlet Witch in the Avengers movies since 2014.
Emma Roberts
Blake Lively
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Amy Adams
Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan has placed some interesting roles throughout her career, including her stint as Nebula, Thanos' daughter, to an avatar named Ruby Roundhouse, a warrior-type alter ego for a shy girl named Martha, in the "Jumanji" franchise.
Margot Robbie
Emma Stone
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Ryan Gosling
Tom Holland
Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston portrayed country music legend Hank Williams in the biopic, "I Saw the Light." As a member of the Avengers cast, he portrayed Loki, who was killed in "Avengers: Infinity War," but still managed to make an appearance in "Avengers: Endgame." Go figure.
Leonardo DiCaprio
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Josh Hutcherson
Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt is the ultimate lovable, bumbling character in several of his recent roles including Peter Quill in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and Owen Grady in both "Jurassic World" and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom."
Miles Teller
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
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Amanda Seyfried
Rachel McAdams
Michelle WIlliams
Brie Larson
Brie Larson, or Captain Marvel as she's known on the silver screen, was Marvel's first female lead character. Prior to that role, she starred in "Kong: Skull Island" and won an Academy Award for her work in "Room."
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Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle played the role of Basher Tarr in the "Ocean's" franchise (you know, 11 ... 12 ... 13). In 2010, he took over the Avengers role of War Machine (AKA Jim Rhodes) from Terrence Howard.
Donald Glover
Michael B. Jordan
Anthony Mackie
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Jessica Alba
Megan Fox
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson is growing in popularity in Hollywood, perhaps due in part to her role in the MCU. She appeared in this year's "Men in Black: International" and is voicing the role of Lady in the holiday animated film, "Lady and the Tramp."
Natalie Portman
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Christian Bale
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany serves as the voice of the artificial intelligence component known as J.A.R.V.I.S., then he plays Vision in the Avengers movies, but he has plenty of onscreen credits to his name, too, including a role as Silas in "The Da Vinci Code."
Quentin Tarantino
Joel Edgerton
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Emma Roberts
Cobie Smulders
Cobie Smulders has both television and film credits to her name, including roles on "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS and in films ranging from "Delivery Man" to voicing the role of Wonder Woman in "The Lego Movie."
Ashley Olsen
Jessica Alba
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Joseph Fiennes
Russell Crowe
Justin Chatwin
Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan's role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the Avengers films comes after his portrayal as Blaine in the 2010 comedy, "Hot Tub Time Machine." Stan has also achieved acting success on television, playing Carter Baizen in "Gossip Girl."
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John Cena
Vin Diesel
Dave Bautista
A degree of physicality in his acting roles should come naturally to the former WWE wrestling star. He took on James Bond in 2015's "Spectre" and plays Drax the Destroyer in the Avengers franchise.
Billy Zane
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Anthony Mackie
Anthony Mackie has had quite a busy – and productive – career since his first movie role in "8 Mile" in 2002, including playing a freshman football player in the sports drama "We are Marshall," and a recurring role as Falcon in "The Avengers."
Michael B. Jordan
Jaden Smith
Donald Glover
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Patrick Dempsey
George Clooney
Hugh Grant
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas' career is the thing Hollywood dreams are made of, with credits in films ranging from "Wall Street," "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct" to more current roles in "Avengers: Endgame" and "And So It Goes."
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Regina King
Danai Gurira
Danai Gurira is no stranger to the small screen or the silver screen, tackling roles from "The Walking Dead" to "All Eyez on Me." She has played Okoye in "Black Panther" and the last two Avengers movies released in 2018 and 2019.
Viola Davis
Halle Berry
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Jesse Plemons
James McAvoy
Jonah Hill
Tom Holland
Tom Holland, cast as Spider-Man in 2015, played the role of cabin boy Thomas Nickerson in the movie, "In the Heart of the Sea," based on the true story that inspired Herman Melville's book, "Moby-Dick."
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Meg Ryan
Jodie Foster
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer's role as Janet Van Dyne in the recent Marvel films pales in comparison to her role as Catwoman in the 1992 film, "Batman Returns," alongside Michael Keaton. She does seem to have a thing for superheroes, though!
Sharon Stone
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Meagan Good
Letitia Wright
Letitia Wright's acting career has been short but prominent thus far. She got her first film credit in 2011 and followed it up quickly with roles in some pretty successful films including "Ready Player One" and two of the Avengers installments.
Kerry Washington
Gabrielle Union
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Olivia Wilde
Mila Kunis
Evangeline Lilly
Meet Hope van Dyne, or Wasp, from "Avengers: Endgame" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp," actress Evangeline Lilly. She also portrayed Tauriel in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," a role that was created specifically for the silver screen that does not appear in the books.
Kate Beckinsale
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Dolph Lundgren
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård is one of those actors you've seen in a hundred movies, but likely can't remember his name. He plays Professor Erik Selvig in the Avengers franchise and has appeared in other roles including in "Cinderella" and as Bootstrap Bill Turner in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
Kjell Bergqvist
Robert Gustafsson
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John Cho
Randall Park
Ken Jeong
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong likely didn't have too much trouble remembering his character's name from the Avengers installments since it was "Wong." But, his other acting credits include Bruce Ng in "The Martian" and Ravel in "Prometheus."
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Tyler James Williams
Michael Ealy
Forest Whitaker
Winston Duke
If you're not already acquainted with Winston Duke, you better get to learning. Duke, who played M'Baku in three recent MCU films, worked alongside Lupita Nyong'o in "Us." He will play Hawk in the upcoming movie, "Wonderland."
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Pom Klementieff
Pom Klementieff has appeared in several foreign films including her first, "Après lui." She starred in "Hacker's Game" in 2015 before landing the role of Mantis in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and, subsequently, two Avengers films.
Jaymee Ong
Grace Huang
Marion Cotillard
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You Got:
/40
