While it may be Oscar season, don't let it be forgotten that spring and summer are just around the corner, and while you're busy catching up on the films that will be nominated for awards for the next couple of months, Hollywood is already keeping an eye on the movies that are their financial bread and butter.
Marvel continues their ever-expanding comic book movie universe next year with Joss Whedon's highly anticipated "The Avengers," and thanks to a couple new banners, we get another look at the comic book protagonists. The film is a culmination of a carefully calibrated mega-franchise that now unites all the big name superheroes into one movie. On the side of the good guys will be Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). And they'll all match wits against the devilish Loki, played with menacing aplomb by Tom Hiddleston.
It will be no easy feat to make this movie feel like an organic whole rather than a cameo fest. Whedon has a lot of heroes to balance out, and it will be interesting to see who winds up playing second fiddle or if everyone winds up getting short changed. "The Avengers" explodes onto screens on May 4th. Check out your heroes below. [Yahoo/Moviefone]