The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero action movie based on Marvel Comics characters. It was distributed under Disney and premiered on April 11, 2012. The movie was written and directed by Joss Whedon. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson, with Stellan Skarsgård, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Bettany in supporting roles. It was positively welcomed from audiences, fans and film critics alike.