The lack of Avengers is one of the glaring problems with the Multiverse Saga movies and TV shows. It’s a big MCU plot hole that Marvel had to explain off-stage. There are no Avengers in the MCU right now, as they pretty much disbanded after the events in Endgame.
Marvel thought it could rebuild the Avengers roster slowly, and the audience would wait. We would have waited, too, if the quality of the MCU hadn’t had to suffer. Thankfully, Bob Iger returned to lead Disney and made sweeping changes. He made it clear that beloved heroes like the Avengers would be a big focus going forward.
Marvel’s decision not to move the release dates of Avengers 5 or 6 despite last year’s industry strikes and the Jonathan Majors situation is proof that Disney wants Doomsday and Secret Wars in theaters as soon as possible. That can’t be earlier than May 2026, when Doomsday will hit theaters.
While waiting for Robert Downey Jr. to return to an Avengers movie as the villain, there’s some fan-made content you absolutely have to see.
Remember those what-if casting that keeps trying to imagine what the Avengers would have looked like in the ’90s with Tom Cruise playing Iron Man? Well, we live in the world of generative AI. A fan used AI video software to give us the best look at the Avengers of the ’90s.
The AI video is almost perfect, as you’re about to see. It gets even better than that. The same fan created Avengers teams for the ’80s and the 2000s. And Clint Eastwood’s Nick Fury is something I’ll keep thinking about.
One of the most popular fan-casting ideas for the Avengers is Tom Cruise as Tony Stark. Marvel reportedly wanted the actor to play the hero that kickstarted the MCU before the role went to RDJ.
Then, we learned Marvel wanted Tom Cruise to play an Iron Man variant in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but that never happened. Some rumors have resurfaced recently, and I hope we can still get a Tom Cruise of an alternate reality in the MCU.
Before genAI tools were available to create videos like the one below, we had fans imagine all sorts of Avengers teams of the ’90s, with Tom Cruise as Iron Man. But the video YouTuber stryder HD created a few months ago, parts of which keep resurfacing on social media, is incredible.
It’s unclear what AI program they used to generate the sequences you’ll see below, but it’s much better than I expected. The AI actors look almost like the real-life stars, with a few obvious caveats. The AI can’t really handle wrinkles, and generating eyes is a problem. Also, some actors seem older than they should be for some of the parts they’d have to play.
You’ll see what I mean once Ben Stiller’s Ant-Man shows up. Also, Jim Carey’s Loki, which is mesmerizing, has hands with just three fingers. Then again, you’d expect this from Jim Carey’s Loki, wouldn’t you?
Aside from Tom Cruise as Iron Man, the ’90s team of Avengers features Brad Pitt as Captain America, Denzel Washington as Black Panther, Angelina Jolie as Black Widow, and Ron Perlman as Thanos. Morgan Freeman would be this Avengers team’s Nick Fury. I’m just naming a few of the highlights. You’ll see even more well-known stars from the ’90s in Avengers roles below.
The ’90s Avengers is the AI clip that keeps appearing on social media. But the same creator also made a team for the ’80s. It’s just as amazing. A younger Tom Cruise plays Captain America in this one, with Burt Reynolds getting the Iron Man part. Michael J. Fox is Spider-Man, while Arnold Schwarzenegger would play Thor.
It gets even better. We have Al Pacino as Moon Knight, Christopher Walken as Vision, and Meryl Streep as Captain Marvel.
Finally, Clint Eastwood plays Nick Fury in this AI-imagined Avengers team, and I’d pay money to see that. I love the idea of an ’80s Avengers movie where Eastwood would have played the role. However, I don’t want studios to employ AI versions of actors in future movies.
Moving closer to the future, we have an AI video showing what an Avengers team of the 2000s would look like. This is a more modern team-up, with Tom Cruise getting the same Iron Man role as the ’90s team. Brad Pitt plays Thor here, with Matt Damon picking up the Captain America shield. I also loved the idea of seeing Daniel Craig as the Punisher and Keanu Reeves as Ghost Rider.
The AI version of Carrie-Ann Moss, playing Maria Hill, is stealing the show here. And Jim Carrey is back as Loki. The 2000s team is the largest one. You’ll see everyone in the video below:
