Marvel's The Avengers (classified under the name
Marvel Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom and Ireland), or simply
The Avengers, is a 2012 American
superhero film based on the
Marvel Comics superhero team
of the same name, produced by
Marvel Studios and distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is
the sixth film in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was written and directed by
Joss Whedon and features an
ensemble cast that includes
Robert Downey Jr.,
Chris Evans,
Mark Ruffalo,
Chris Hemsworth,
Scarlett Johansson,
Jeremy Renner,
Tom Hiddleston,
Clark Gregg,
Cobie Smulders,
Stellan Skarsgård, and
Samuel L. Jackson. In the film,
Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization
S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits
Iron Man,
Captain America, the
Hulk, and
Thor to form a team that must stop Thor's brother
Loki from subjugating Earth.