The transition from good to evil has fascinated writers for centuries. Forcing characters to dance on the line of morality has always intrigued audiences more than two-dimensional characters with simple moral compasses. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is well-known for administering such dilemmas to their viewers through the characters they make.
Be it Kilmonger in Black Panther, Thanos’ noble motivations to wipe out half the universe, or the execution of the Punisher’s justice, it is difficult for fans to condemn some villains when their motivations are so complex. Despite this, there are a few characters that have stayed consistent over the years, even though the law would disagree.
Five of the main six Avengers have managed to always have a strong moral compass, ever since the 2011 film, and these traits have stayed consistent. However, it would seem that their actors have played parts that juxtapose their iconic roles.
From Avengers to Antagonists
The main six Avengers seem to have seriously switched up their alliances after they stepped away from the franchise. Soon after his exit as Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. played the closest thing to a villain in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. It is safe to say that the insecure scientist that was Lewis Straus, is as far away as one can get from the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist.
Scarlett Johansson was in a similar boat. Although Natasha Romanoff, perhaps, had the most flexible moral compass out of all the Avengers, she always did the right thing at the end of the day and was haunted by the instances when she didn’t. Johansson’s character in The Jungle Book was completely different in this, playing the role of the secondary antagonist, Kaa.
Chris Evans also followed suit, playing the role of Ransom the murderer in Daniel Craig’s Knives Out the same year he stepped away from being the almighty Steve Rogers. Mark Ruffalo got an Oscar nomination for his work as the main antagonist of Poor Things. While the Hulk was no saint, his motivations came from insecurity, rather than malice, unlike Duncan Wedderburn in the Emma Stone film.
Finally, the latest addition to this club is Chris Hemsworth, who, after playing the role of Thor Odinson, is playing the main villain of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Harvey Dent’s Words Taken Too Seriously By the Avengers
While Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight is an iconic film in every way, several lines stood out for many viewers. One line about morality and the difference between a villain and a hero has seriously fascinated fans because of how true it is. The district attorney of Gotham, Harvey Dent, posed a theory of sorts that either one dies a hero, or sticks around long enough to turn into a villain.
“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
The hypothesis was fitting coming from him, as he turns into Two-Face later in the film. However, there is no denying that the icons who played the main Avengers found themselves in similar situations at convenient points in their careers. After stepping away from the good, even dying while they were doing so, they all eventually turned to evil.
Although some of the actors are going to continue to play their Marvel roles, the pattern cannot be missed, and the coincidence is quite fascinating.
