Infographic: The Path To Marvel’s ‘The Avenger’ Movie – UPDATE [Images]

This infographic traces the connections in the Marvel movies that have led up to The Avengers (2012).

Its been three years in coming with five directors, but next year “The Avengers” are assembling.

In 2008, Iron Man came out and audiences were thrilled to see Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) announce “The Avengers Initiative”. Since then, we’ve waited years and carefully examined five movies for the six characters that make up the superteam known as “The Avengers”.

Some have been obvious, like Nick Fury walking into a room. Some have not, like the Hulk showing up in a television screen.

Check out the graphic below to find out how many times Captain America’s been referred to and when Iron Man last showed up in the films.

Higher resolution version available:

JPG 1646 x 3930

PNG 1646 x 3930 (DropBox)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Do the Colors Mean?

   When I designed it, I wanted each character to have a clearly defined color to make them stand out. I didn’t want it to be shades of red or blue. But, with seven characters, and four primary colors, things got tricky. Some were easy, like the Hulk being green. Others, were trickier. Hawkeye’s costume is purple in the comics.  Captain America is blue for the American flag.  Black widow is red for her red hair, just like Thor is yellow for his blonde hair. Iron Man is orange for his gold costume. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s color is covered on the next question

2. Why Is Nick Fury Black? Is It Racist?

   First, I’m black. So, no. I also didn’t make all the other characters white or pink. The logo actually represents S.H.I.E.L.D. the organization, not necessarily Fury himself. That’s why Coulson’s appearances are listed along with the email from S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury normally wore black, but it was the only color left.
   

3. Why Is It Upside Down?The chart needed to have a strong visual at the top and the full list of Avengers made the most sense. Since it’s supposed to flow from the first to the last movie it made sense. Looking from a distance, it’s clear, but zoomed in its confusing. 
4. Its Pretty Confusing For a Timeline and Why Are the Events Out of Order?
   Its not a timeline really. Its definitely not a timeline of the movie Marvel universe. Its a chart of the character references in theatrical order. There’s an excelent chart of that in the book Art of Marvel’s Avengers and elsewhere on the Internet.
5. Why Does Your Chart Say Dr Selvig Was Talking About Bruce Banner When He Was Talking About Hank Pym?
   In the interview with Kevin Feige, he said originally Dr Selvig emails Hank Pym, also known as Ant-Man. They took out the words “Hank Pym” for the theatrical release, but the reference to gamma radiation is a reference to Bruce Banner. This chart is based on the theatrical release of the film.
6. Why Don’t You List Captain America’s First Appearance in The Incredible Hulk?
   There is a deleted scene with Captain America found in ice in The Incredible Hulk, but it wasnt in the theatrical version. For simplicity, this chart sticks to what was shown in theaters.
7. Why Does The Chart List the 2008 Film as Hulk’s Second Appearance?
   Ok, there was another movie by Ang Lee that was his first theatrical appearance called Hulk. I don’t like the film, but I didn’t leave it out for that reason. It just doesn’t fit in with the Marvel Movie Universe, but the 2008 film makes references to it. So I referenced it, but couldn’t include it in the chart.
8. What Do Those Little Numbers Next To The Characters Mean?
   The number refers to how many times the character is referenced in the movies

If you like this infographic, why not share it? Use the buttons below to send it via email, Facebook, Twitter or Digg! We appreciate it.

Speaking of appreciation, here are some acknowedgments we’d like to make.

“Roman SD” font by Steve Deffeyes

“Trajanus” font by Roger White

“Stahlbetontraeger” font by Nils von Blanc

The Avengers opens in the U.S. May 4, 2012.

Update: Changed download links. Added F.A.Q.

What did you learn from the infographic? Are you looking forward to The Avengers? Which is your favorite character?