Marvel Studios' 10th Anniversary Class Photo Is Sure To Get You Emotional

It's difficult to believe how quickly time has passed since the wacky ship that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe left port in 2008. With the release of the first Iron Man film in May of 2008, the company took off at a breakneck pace and hasn't stalled since.

The Avengers have gathered together, as have all of their friends and enemies, and at the very least, the actors who portray them have. Marvel Studios gathered nearly every major actor and filmmaker who has featured in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film within the last decade for a "class photo" to commemorate their achievements since the franchise's inception in 2008.

It's tough not to get emotional while watching the stars we've grown up with gather for the anniversary. To see them all in one hall is almost too surreal to bear.

The photo includes too many people to tell who's who at first sight, but at the front and center, deservingly, are Robert Downey Jr.—who started it all with Iron Man (2008)—and Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios' chief. Stan Lee and Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, are standing behind them.

And all behind them are actors who have appeared in one or more of the many other MCU films, organized in no discernible pattern. Thor is next to Pepper Potts, but Doctor Strange is next to the Scarlet Witch, which makes perfect sense when you think about it.

Wow, it's been ten whole years...

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An iconic moment indeed

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The commemoration of Marvel Studios' tenth anniversary began with a film adequate for the MCU's cosmic scale—Avengers: Infinity War—and continued to cover a remarkable decade of Marvel Studios' blockbuster movies produced from 2008 through the untitled Avengers film in 2019. It was truly an exciting moment to be a superhero fan.

Being at the Academy Awards...

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The superhero story is timeless and impressive. Throughout Marvel's illustrious filmography, we can all find a personality who brings out the hero in all of us.

It feels so emotional

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Isn't the iconic class photo itself just an excellent work of art?

Marco Grob for Marvel Studios

Let's take a closer look at them

In the first row, we have Sean Gunn, Hannah John-Kamen, Director Scott Derrickson, Executive Producer Trinh Tran, Jeremy Renner, and Paul Rudd.

In the second row are Director Jon Watts, Casting Director Sarah Finn, Tessa Thompson, VP of Physical Production David Grant, Don Cheadle, and Tom Holland.

The third row features Director Peyton Reed.

Marco Grob for Marvel Studios

A second closer look

In the first row, we have EVP of Physical Production Victoria Alonso, Zoe Saldana, Angela Bassett, and Jon Favreau.

The second row includes Director James Gunn, Dave Bautista, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, and Evangeline Lilly.

The third row features Director Peyton Reed, Laurence Fishburne, Linda Cardellini, Executive Producer Jonathan Schwartz, Sebastian Stan, and Ty Simpkins.

The fourth row includes Screenwriter Christopher Markus, Screenwriter Stephen McFeely, and Michael Rooker.

Marco Grob for Marvel Studios

Taking a third closer look...

In the first row, we have Chris Hemsworth, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Stan Lee, and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige.

The second row features Director Joe Russo, Director Anthony Russo, Chris Pratt, Chadwick Boseman, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The third row includes Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, Michael Douglas, Executive Producer Stephen Broussard, and Director Ryan Coogler.

The fourth row features Vin Diesel, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson, Taika Waititi, and Jeff Goldblum.

Marco Grob for Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios' incredible success over the last decade has resulted in global box office revenue of more than $13.5 billion. It's a massive figure for a massive fan base.

Let's take a fourth closer look

The first row features Scarlett Johansson, Co-President of Marvel Studios Louis D’Esposito, Kurt Russell, Danai Gurira, and William Hurt.

The second row includes Elizabeth Olsen, Director Joss Whedon, Paul Bettany, VP of Physical Production Mitchell Bell, Frank Grillo, Director Anna Boden, and Director Ryan Fleck.

The third row features Michelle Pfeiffer, Executive Producer Jeremy Latcham, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Executive Producer Nate Moore, and Benedict Wong.

The fourth row includes Executive Producer Erik Carroll, Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding, and Executive Producer/Screenwriter Craig Kyle.

Marco Grob for Marvel Studios

And a final look

In the first row, we have Director Alan Taylor, Karen Gillan, Executive Producer Brad Winderbaum, Emily VanCamp, and Director Louis Leterrier.

In the second row, we have Letitia Wright and Editor Jeffrey Ford.

Marco Grob for Marvel Studios

Cheers to more decades of Marvel superhero films

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Mixed in with Marvel’s many superstars, you'll see a lot of people you won't recognize. This is because the directors and other important figures at Marvel Studios appeared in the class photo, as you can see in the back with Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi trying to strike a silly pose next to Jeff Goldblum.