The original Avengers team in the MCU included Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). They teamed up against the evil Loki, the main perpetrator of The Battle of New York.
Although each of the original Avengers had its strengths, there was a lot of friction when they first came together. However, the group eventually found unity as a team. It may be difficult to choose a favorite character or identify who is stronger. Screen Rant lists Thor as the strongest. But it is even more challenging to answer the question: Captain America or Iron Man, who was the leader of this team?
On the one hand, Steve Rogers (Captain America) is a decorated war hero and a unique Super Soldier. With his Vibranium shield, he is almost indestructible with all the hand-to-hand combat prowess needed to defeat big bad villains. While Tony Stark is a billionaire tech genius and philanthropist responsible for much of the Avengers’ tech. He has an ever-growing collection of gadgets and suits to fight the most dangerous threats on Earth. Let’s now dive into the history of the original Avengers in the MCU.
Steve is no stranger to leadership. Since the beginning of his superhero journey back in WWII, he has been at the command of the battleground. Steve was on his first mission without any caroling for war bonds. He infiltrated the HYDRA Base, hoping to rescue Bucky (Sebastian Stan), and eventually emerged as the leader of the escape from the facility.
Moreover, he not only defeated the Red Skull’s army of at most 100 men but also continued to lead the squad on many other occasions. It proves that he was more valuable on the battlefield than on stage. He and his Howling Commandos were able to bring down HYDRA facilities across Europe under Captain America’s calm leadership. Steve’s experience in team missions is unparalleled by any other member of the Avengers, not even Tony Stark.
Tony prefers to take a more independent path when it comes down to fighting for the planet. Tony loves to do things his way. Whether it is to escape from the Ten Rings, flee Afghanistan’s war-torn caves, defeat Ivan Vanko, or clean up Peter Parker’s mess, Tony is all about doing things his way. Stark is supported by a small group of people who care deeply about him and support him in all his missions.
The contribution of Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), Stark Industries CEO, and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is limited to tasks that are largely away from the battlefield and more technical. Jarvis and Friday are Jarvis’ aides during Iron Man’s missions. However, they are not human and are not involved in combat, so it doesn’t fall under Stark’s leadership.
Tony is an expert in his field (etc., innovation and renovation). Even being the best, he left the leadership of Avengers to Steve. Captain America was even dubbed the leader of the original Avengers team by him in Age of Ultron.
