It turns out the Avengers aren’t just good at saving the world, but they look pretty too. The star-studded cast includes hunky Chris Evans as Captain America and bombshell Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. But let’s not forget Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner who fill up the rest of the attractive superhero squad. The heroes make up Entertainment Weekly’s visually appealing cover story and the article gave fans a first look at the action behind-the-scenes as well as individual character portraits. 

The cover of Entertainment weekly on sale now (EW.com)

 Johansson, the only woman amongst all the testosterone, talks about how the guys aren’t the only ones who get to kick ass. She explains in Entertainment Weekly, “Thor’s got his hammer, Cap’s got his shied, Hawkeye has his bow and arrow, and Hulk is huge. Then it pans over to me and I’ve got guns.” Talk about girl power.

 Ruffalo will make his debut as Bruce Banner, the Hulk, previously played by Edward Norton. It’s no surprise that most of his teammates are uneasy around the hot-head, and even less surprising that Iron Man is gutsy enough to provoke the angry Hulk to come out.

Some of the characters will be haunted by their pasts in the new movie. Hemsworth’s character Thor has some unsettled family issues and has to struggle between fighting his evil brother Loki or trying to protect him. Captain America gets a culture shock when he finds himself in the modern world after being frozen for several decades. 

Perhaps the most intriguing story will be Renner as Hawkeye because he has been the least visible of the Avengers so far. Hawkeye and Black Widow are the only characters without their own movies, but Black Widow had a supporting role in “Iron Man 2” while Hawkeye only made a brief cameo in “Thor.” But Renner reveals that audiences will learn more about his past with Black Widow in the next movie.

With the potentially heart-thumping action, epic characters, and overall irresistible cast, it’s no wonder fans are anxiously waiting for the ultimate super hero movie, which is in theaters May 4, 2012.

Reach writer Megan Singson here