The Avengers fan-art imagines other actors to play Earth's Mightiest Heroes, such as T0m Hiddleston as Thor and Tom Cruise as Iron Man. It's been almost ten years since Marvel Studios culminated Phase 1 with the 2012 ensemble project. Since then, the MCU has witnessed the introduction of many new characters. However, its founding members have remained fan-favorites over the years.

Marvel Studios is known for choosing unexpected actors for their lead roles, and although the original Avengers lineup is perfectly cast, at the time, some choices were riskier than others. The prime example of this was tapping Robert Downey Jr. to play MCU's inaugural hero, Tony Stark/Iron Man; while the actor is known for his talent, his struggles with substance abuse made him a risky hire. The same goes with Chris Hemsworth as Thor since he was essentially an unknown star when cast in Thor.

Related: Phase 4 Has Three MCU Teams More Powerful Than The Avengers

However, had things turned out to be slightly different, the Avengers cast could have been radically changed, as Reddit user u/digimeng highlights in a fantastic piece of fan art. Actors who were previously considered for the roles of the original Earth's Mightiest Heroes replace those who were ultimately cast. Some notable names from the list include Cruise as Iron Man, Hiddleston as Thor, John Krasinski as Captain America, and Emily Blunt as Black Widow. Check out the image below:

Click here to see the original post. 

Hiddleston has been open about initially coming in to audition for the God of Thunder in Kenneth Branagh's first Thor film from 2011. He was eventually cast as Loki, and there's an argument to be made that it all worked well in his favor. The God of Mischief has quickly become a fan-favorite, even as Marvel Studios struggled with the right approach to his brother. The character died multiple times in the MCU, but the events of his Disney+ series, Loki, imply that not only does he still have a long way to go in the franchise, he may also be its most important character.

Aside from Hiddleston, no one else in the selection has made it into the MCU. However, with persistent rumors that real-life couple Krasinski and Blunt will play Reed Richards and Sue Storm in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot from director Jon Watts, the pair may have another chance at joining the franchise. The couple has been repeatedly asked to comment on casting but has maintained there is no merit to these rumors. But, if it comes into fruition, it would be fascinating that while they have missed their chance in starring in The Avengers, they could still be a part of another premier Marvel superhero team.

More: The MCU Multiverse Fixes An OG Avengers Problem (Why Marvel Can't End It)

Source: u/digimeng/Reddit