With the signing of Johansson as Romanoff in March 2009, Renner as Barton in June 2010, and Ruffalo replacing Norton as Banner in July 2010, the film was pushed back for a 2012 release.

[52] Additionally, Harry Dean Stanton cameos as a security guard, and Polish film director Jerzy Skolimowski appears as Georgi Luchkov, Romanoff's interrogator.

[54] Enver Gjokaj and Ashley Johnson, the former who would later play Daniel Sousa in the series Agent Carter (2015–2016), appear as a police officer and a waitress named Beth, respectively.

[72] In January 2010, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige was asked if it would be challenging to blend the fantasy of Thor with the high-tech science fiction in Iron Man and The Avengers.

[73] In March, it was reported that Penn had completed the first draft of the script, and that Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada and Avengers comic-book writer Brian Michael Bendis had received copies.

"[84] In response, Norton's agent Brian Swardstrom decried Feige's statement, calling it "purposefully misleading" and an "inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light".

As a result, the onscreen production credit reads "Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures", though the film is solely owned, distributed, financed, and marketed by Disney.

[92] Three months later, in March, Governor of Ohio John Kasich announced during Mayor Frank G. Jackson's State of the City address that The Avengers would also film in Cleveland.

[102] Additionally, a chase sequence was shot in Worthington, Pennsylvania, at Creekside Mushroom Farms, which provided 150 miles of abandoned limestone tunnels 300 feet below the ground for filming.

Staff Sergeant Michael T. Landis noted that the involvement of real soldiers enhanced the realism of the scenes and portrayed the military positively, citing their ability to provide on-the-spot corrections to tactics and uniforms.

ILM was the lead vendor and shared responsibility for creating many of the film's key effects, including the Helicarrier, the New York cityscape, digital body doubles, Iron Man, and the Hulk.

[139] In October 2011, Marvel Studios held a presentation at the New York Comic Con featuring new footage and a panel discussion including producer Kevin Feige and several cast members.

Comic Book Resources noted, "The two-minute teaser handily establishes the movie's premise" and is "heavy on the assembling, but fans are also treated to plenty of action, as well glimpses [sic] of Iron Man's new armor and, best of all, the new take on the Incredible Hulk.

The 30-minute live tweeting event featured writer/director Joss Whedon and cast members Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, and Clark Gregg, along with a 10-second tease of the 30-second commercial that would air during Super Bowl XLVI in February.

[148] On May 1, 2012, executives from Marvel Studios, along with actors Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg, rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange in honor of the film's theatrical release.

[157] Other promotional partners included bracelet-maker Colantotte, Dr Pepper, Farmers Insurance, Harley-Davidson, Hershey, Land O'Frost lunchmeats, Oracle, Red Baron pizza, Symantec, Visa, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

[161] Additionally, Marvel announced the development of a four-chapter mobile game titled Avengers Initiative, with each chapter dedicated to exploring the adventures of Hulk, Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man.

[174][175] Feige mentioned that the Blu-ray version features a new Marvel One-Shot titled Item 47 (2012), along with "a number of deleted scenes and a few storylines that fell by the wayside during the editing process".

[180] Some fans have criticized the UK DVD and Blu-ray release for omitting Joss Whedon's audio commentary and altering the scene involving Phil Coulson's death from the film's theatrical version.

[146][229][230][235][236] Furthermore, it established opening-weekend records in numerous territories, including Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Peru, and Central America.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Thanks to a script that emphasizes its heroes' humanity and a wealth of superpowered set pieces, The Avengers lives up to its hype and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies.

[254] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter gave a positive review of the film, remarking, "It's clamorous, the save-the-world story is one everyone's seen time and again, and the characters have been around for more than half a century in 500 comic book issues.

"[256] Justin Chang of Variety wrote, "Like a superior, state-of-the-art model built from reconstituted parts, Joss Whedon's buoyant, witty, and robustly entertaining superhero smash-up is escapism of a sophisticated order, boasting a tonal assurance and rich reserves of humor that offset the potentially lumbering and unavoidably formulaic aspects of this 143-minute team-origin story.

"[257] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times complimented the film's frenetic pace,[258] while Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times commented that it "provides its fans with exactly what they desire.

Joe Neumaier opined that his performance was superior to the rest of the cast; stating, "Ruffalo is the revelation, turning Banner into a wry reservoir of calm ready to become a volcano.

[262] The Village Voice's Karina Longworth concluded: "Ruffalo successfully refreshes the Hulk myth, playing Banner as an adorably bashful nerd-genius who, in contrast to the preening hunks on the team, knows better than to draw attention to himself.

"[263] Travers asserted that the actor resonated a "scruffy warmth and humor" vibe,[256] while Turan felt that he surpassed predecessors Edward Norton and Eric Bana in playing the character.

[258] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the smartest thing the filmmakers did was to get Mark Ruffalo to play Bruce Banner as a man so sensitive that he's at war, every moment, with himself.

Associated Press reviewer Christy Lemire wrote that the script "sparkles as brightly as the special effects; these people may be wearing ridiculous costumes but they're well fleshed-out underneath.

[275] The film features much of the original cast, alongside new additions including Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver, Paul Bettany as Vision, and James Spader as Ultron.