You Won’t Believe the Oldest Avengers in the MCU

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Summary

  • Hawkeye, Iron Man, and The Hulk are some of the oldest MCU Avengers, with ages ranging from 52 to 53 years old.
  • Captain Marvel, Winter Soldier, and Captain America are also aging Avengers, with ages up to 105 years old.
  • Thor, over 1000 years old, is the oldest Avenger, showing age isn’t just a human trait in the MCU.

The MCU features a wealth of characters that can be truly called Avengers. Although many characters more recently introduced may yet be officially inducted into the ranks of the team in the upcoming reformation of the Avengers, there have already been a large number of beloved comic book characters inducted into their ranks.

The team encompasses various figures, ranging from divine beings to covert operatives, which may lead fans to find certain character’s ages unexpected. Here are the ages of some of the oldest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Avengers members as of the movie Avengers: Endgame.

This list contains spoilers!

8. Hawkeye

52 Years Old

  • Real Name: Clint Barton
  • First Appearance: Thor (2011)
  • Status: Retired?
  • Played By: Jeremy Renner

Despite being the most consistent member of the Avengers, boasting a career, a spouse, and children, Hawkeye had ventured into a troubled past following the loss of his family in Endgame. It took their resurrection to persuade him to abandon his violent spree and even contemplate a peaceful retirement.

Ever since Hawkeye’s family was introduced, the possibility of him having a happy ending has become very real. His wistful glances at Avengers memorials during the Hawkeye series didn’t seem to be enough to deter him from sinking into retirement. It is possible that he will return, but it seems unlikely given Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop has taken the mantle of Hawkeye, and his hearing is gone, showing some of the only real signs of age in any Avenger.

7. Iron Man

53 Years Old

  • Real Name: Tony Stark
  • First Appearance: Iron Man (2008)
  • Status: Dead
  • Played By: Robert Downey Jr.

Tony Stark was the center of the MCU. He appeared in many projects across the Infinity Saga, proving himself to be the most prolific box-office character. However, it wasn’t until late in his life, after the Infinity War, that he settled down with his longtime love, Pepper Potts, and had a daughter in Morgan Stark.

Tony got to be a simple farmer, husband, and father for a while before he perished in a grand sacrifice during Endgame. Though he showed regular signs of age, it was still hard to imagine him or actor Robert Downey Jr had entered their 50s by the time Endgame rolled around. This was the case though, and when considering all the achievements he had as Stark Industries CEO before the MCU even began, it makes much more sense.

6. The Hulk

53 Years Old

  • Real Name: Dr. Bruce Banner
  • First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
  • Status: Alive, Unknown
  • Played By: Edward Norton, Mark Ruffalo

The Hulk has been another key component of the MCU, having had a rocky history through Avengers films, his own single solo project, appearing in his cousin’s show, and even teaming up for a buddy film with Thor. He’s been recast, thrown into all sorts of storylines, has an unexplained child, and might still be working with the likes of Doctor Strange on Avengers-level protection of the Earth, at least if Shang-Chi’s post-credits scene meant much.

Through it all, Bruce and the Hulk have aged and also developed a much friendlier relationship than they had back in phase 1. It should be no surprise to find them in their fifties, given that Banner was a world-renowned scientist in the field of radiation before becoming the Hulk. But this might not slow Banner down, as he is one of the few original Avengers likely to appear in more upcoming projects.

5. War Machine

55 Years Old

  • Real Name: Colonel James Rhodes
  • First Appearance: Iron Man (2008)
  • Status: Alive, Unknown
  • Played By: Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle

Rhodey’s character is deeply rooted as a military man, but he has also been an integral part of the Avengers team within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He has contributed significantly to the group in ways beyond his War Machine suit, and has been present since the initial phases of the MCU. Rhodey has undergone a recasting and has managed to survive throughout this journey. Notably, he survived near-death experiences in both “Civil War” and “Secret Invasion.

Although it isn’t known if War Machine will play much of a role in any upcoming MCU projects, the focus on politics in Captain America: Brave New World sets the stage for a beloved figure like Rhodes to enter the fray as an ally, even if he doesn’t suit up again as a hero.

4. Captain Marvel

58 Years Old

  • Real Name: Carol Danvers
  • First Appearance: Captain Marvel (2019)
  • Status: Active
  • Played By: Brie Larson

Although The Marvels wasn’t a huge success, Captain Marvel is still one of the most powerful and well-known faces for any potential Avengers team in the near future. She is well-acquainted with both the space-faring and earthbound heroes already within the MCU, and she could easily be considered one of the faces of the next Avengers team.

Captain Marvel is one of the few Avengers older than her actress, as Brie Larson is only 35 but will be playing Carol in her late fifties due to her initial film and experimentation by the Kree taking place in the 90s. Carol seems no longer to age effectively, or at least to age very slowly for a human, meaning that she theoretically should be around in the MCU for decades, though it is likely Larson will age out of the role before many more decades have passed.

3. Winter Soldier

101 Years Old

  • Real Name: James Buchanan Barnes
  • First Appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
  • Status: Active
  • Played By: Sebastian Stan

One of the most frequently appearing Avengers or MCU characters to date, Bucky returned for a brief cameo in Captain America: Brave New World and he will also play a major role in Thunderbolts when it releases later in the year. This sort of current major role makes it likely that he will be more of an official member of the Avengers than he has been to date in the MCU in the upcoming entries.

Bucky, like Steve Rogers, was actually born and raised pre-World War II in the MCU. Despite Stan still only being in his early 40s, he is now playing a centurion who has been on and off ice through decades of working as the Winter Soldier for the Soviet Union. With years left of possibly playing the role, Stan could easily have the most appearances in MCU projects out of anyone when the franchise finally calls it a day.

2. Captain America

105 Years Old

  • Real Name: Steve Rogers
  • First Appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
  • Status: Dead/Retired
  • Played By: Chris Evans

Steve Rogers may have passed the shield on and could even have passed on by now in the MCU, but his legacy lives and his legendary adventures made for some of the very best moments and films in the franchise. Another World War II veteran who went into the ice, Steve is a super soldier, but it is unknown how long his life would be without the ice having preserved him.

Captain America is an enduring symbol of excellence and purity, and while Rogers may have passed on or at least vanished from the franchise, the Multiverse makes it possible for him to return one day. Failing that, he will soon be surpassed as the oldest human Avenger in the franchise by Bucky.

1. Thor

Over 1000 Years Old

  • Real Name: Thor Odinson
  • First Appearance: Thor (2011)
  • Status: Active
  • Played By: Chris Hemsworth

By far the oldest Avenger in the MCU, Thor is a God and has been a part of human cultures and mythologies even in the MCU, for a thousand years. He isn’t much older than that, it would appear, his likely age being approximately 1050 years. However, he has only really just grown up, having gained a daughter in his most recent adventure and gotten over his Endgame depression and weight gain.

It will take some doing to find a being that is much older than Thor to join the MCU Avengers. This ancient Asgardian might have a huge age gap to any of his teammates, but he likely manages to retain one of the lower IQ scores among them, proving that age isn’t everything.

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2025-03-18 09:37