The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced classic heroes to the big screen and made them into the iconic characters fans have spent dozens upon dozens of hours watching. Phase 4 will bring some of the newer characters to light, but the conclusion of the Infinity Saga marks the end of a cinematic era.
Marvel has taken us through an extensive journey, bringing together heroes from all walks of life. Some of their stories have ended while some have just begun. Several Marvel characters have gotten the spotlight over the years, and IMDb has mapped out their screen time to the minute, including post-credits scenes. Let's take a look at who's had the most time to shine so far.
Gamora: 1 hr., 20 min.
As part of the ensemble cast of Guardians of the Galaxy, which got a sequel and is already set for a third film, Gamora plays a huge role in both their adventures in the galaxy and the Infinity Saga as a whole. She wears the title of the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and over the years, it's made clear that she has earned it.
She brings a skill set to the team and a dry humor to the movies that make her enjoyable to watch. Although she is not technically an Avenger, her role in Infinity War impacts the rest of the saga in a big way. In fact, in this movie, she has the most screen time of almost all the characters, second only to Thanos!
Doctor Strange: 1 hr., 30 min.
Despite debuting relatively late in the MCU game, Doctor Strange introduced a character who has proved to be a powerful and intriguing ally to the forces against Thanos. Strange's journey has seen him saving lives as a world-renowned surgeon to safeguarding the Time Stone as a Master of the Mystic Arts.
Now that the Stones of his timeline have been destroyed, fans are excited to see the doctor's adventures to follow in his film's 2021 sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Star-Lord (Peter Quill): 1 hr., 36 min.
Captaining his ship and team of Guardians, the self-proclaimed Star-Lord has certainly lived up to the title. Peter is introduced along with an entirely new world to the MCU and makes fans invested in them both. In Vol. 2, he learns more about himself as well, including that he is the son of a god. He has the opportunity to join his father in conquering the world but instead chooses his newfound family.
In Infinity War, he helps (and, unfortunately, fails) to keep the Time Stone from Thanos. After being brought back into existence, he joins the Avengers: Endgame ensemble and faces off against the titan again. He is set to return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2021.
Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff): 1 hr., 50 min.
Having made her debut in Iron Man 2, ten years ago, Natasha was one of the first characters on this list to be introduced to the universe. In total, she has 8 films under her belt, including a post-credits scene in Captain Marvel.
She has the most screen time of any other woman in the MCU (unfortunately, this means that, yes, she will be only the second and last female character to appear on this list). She also has the most screen time of any character who has not yet been given a solo movie, though that will change in May when the heavily anticipated Black Widow is released.
Ant-Man (Scott Lang): 1 hr., 52 min.
The MCU had already given us several ordinary-Joe-turned-superhero origin stories by the time Ant-Man was released, so Marvel had its work cut out for them to create an engaging movie and an interesting hero who would fit into the universe and the Infinity Saga story.
Fresh out of prison, Scott takes over the role of the Ant-Man from Hank Pym and runs into the Falcon, Sam Wilson, which leads to Scott's involvement in the Avengers' conflict in Captain America: Civil War. Later, Ant-Man and the Wasp's introduction of the quantum realm is the reason the Avengers are able to pull off the time heist, ultimately leading to their resurrecting half of all life in the universe.
Hulk (Bruce Banner): 2 hr., 21 min.
Dr. Banner's screen time includes his time in the often forgotten MCU movie, The Incredible Hulk, where he was portrayed by Edward Norton as opposed to Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of the character in every following film.
In spite of the lengthy transition, the character is followed through a total of 8 movies, including the original Avengers and continuing all the way through Endgame. He proves himself to be a major player, both as a brilliant scientist with good heart and chemistry with the rest of the team... and as an "enormous green rage monster" who could level a city within the hour.
Spider-Man (Peter Parker): 2 hr., 43 min.
One of the newer additions to the team, Peter became a fan favorite even after his brief initial appearance in Civil War. With Tom Holland, the MCU introduced what is generally the most well-received iteration of Spider-Man.
Peter would go on to have a solo film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which he sharpens his crime-fighting skills and, after joining the fight against Thanos at the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, his solo feature's sequel would take on the task of following Endgame. The third entry in his trilogy joins the highly anticipated movies of Phase 4.
Thor: 3 hr., 23 min.
The latest of the Avengers' trilogies to be completed, Thor is the first to introduce a non-earthly setting to the MCU. He usually has a smaller role in the larger ensemble movies than some of the more prominent characters, but he is considered by most to be the strongest Avenger throughout most of the Infinity Saga.
Thor's character brings a new light to not only his comic book counterpart but also the god of Norse mythology. His films also make way for other interesting characters, like Loki, Valkyrie, and Jane, who will return to the MCU with Thor in Love and Thunder in 2021.
Captain America (Steve Rogers): 4 hr., 3 min.
The MCU has seen Captain America through every stage in his career, from the bony, asthmatic Army reject to the world's first Avenger to a war criminal to, finally, a time traveler.
After defeating HYDRA again and ending their control over American intelligence in The Winter Soldier, Steve leads the Avengers through every part of their journey together, including the Infinity War and the time heist. His own story seems to end happily in Endgame, where he travels back to 1946 to Peggy, the love of his life, to live the alternate life he had always craved.
Iron Man (Tony Stark): 5 hr., 58 min.
That Tony is on the screen for more time than any other character in the MCU, beating out the next leading character by almost two hours, may not be a surprise. Iron Man was, after all, the very first movie of the franchise.
The debut is followed by two sequels, and he also plays a huge part in all of the four Avengers films, the most memorable being his role in Endgame, where he makes the ultimate sacrifice to turn Thanos and his entire army to ash, keeping alive the half of the population they saved.