It’s been a week and a half since I saw Infinity Wars and I think I’ve finally recovered. I got so involved while watching it, I ended up with a splitting headache. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like most action flicks, it wasn’t perfect but oh my gawd, there was so much right about it. And like many of you, my investment in the franchise goes back to the beginning, when there were only six Avengers: Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, The Hulk, Thor and Hawkeye. As we know, the people who play those parts – Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner – are all closing out their contracts with Marvel. Some outlets think they’re over the franchise and happy to be rid of it. While they might look forward to the freedom of branching out, I believe they loved working together, something RDJ touched on in his emotional speech at the press conference.
As a testament to their bond, the Original Six Avengers – A6 – got matching tattoos. According to RDJ, it was Scarlett’s idea. She and Evans, who is still performing Lobby Hero in New York and missing all the fun, were the first to get them from East Side Ink Tattoo artist Joshua Lord. Then Joshua flew to LA and gave the same tattoo to RDJ, Renner and Hemsworth:
@ChrisEvans,,,now we are one… All our love…@Renner4Real @eastsideinktattoo @chrishemsworth @joshualord
🎥 credit #jimmyrich pic.twitter.com/AvJhTA8xos— Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) May 7, 2018
The holdout was Ruffalo. Even though there is the technicality that Ruffalo took the role over from another actor, I don’t think that’s had anything to do with this. I think he just doesn’t do tattoos (he probably has the design on a pillow that he lays his head on and whispers ‘goodnight, guys’). The design itself is really cool. It’s the Avengers A over the number 6:
Apparently, Joshua stood in for Ruffalo to receive the sixth tattoo. Each of the A6 who got the tattoo inked one line of the design on him:
(By the way, there is evidence to suggest that Hawkeye is Joshua’s favorite Avenger but I’m not here to start trouble.)
Does this sound familiar? Why yes it does as the original cast of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings got tattoos of “nine” written in Elvish to commemorate their journey. And like the A6, one of the cast didn’t get one – John Rhys Davies, who played Gimli. So, his stunt double got the tattoo instead:
Again, this all warms my heart. I love the idea that these folks feel so connected, they want to commemorate in some indelible way. I wonder if the tattoos glow when they are all in the same room.
I also hope that fans, no matter how well-intentioned, don’t get the same work. These guys have given us a lot in the past decade, we should let them have this for themselves.
Hey, Sam – should we get a tattoo as well?
Photo credit: Instagram and Getty Images
That’s a great point, let them have this one! Pretty cool. Usually I’d be yelling “STUNT!” but I think this was legit and genuine. Good for them! It’s cute.
I think there is a lot of love there.
That’s cool for them. I don’t agree with non-licensed people tattooing other people, though. Never have and never will.
We must alert the church elders!
robert downey Jr SWOOOOON
Robert Downey Swoonior. Yes.
I think this is really sweet. Unlike a lot of casts, there’s actually MORE love between this bunch off-screen than there is on. They’ve all been seen hanging out outside of work time too over the years- taking their kids to activities together, partying together, instagramming stuff from each other’s places. They’re all very, very supportive of each other.
They’ve gone on a pretty incredible journey together over the last decade, and it must have been pretty wonderful to share that with each other. This is a very nice way to mark the crazy ride they’ve been on.
This is sweet. If only Sam Jackson had joined the fun!
That’s awesome.
This honestly (and embarrassingly) almost made me choke up as I read this.
I’m going to a screening of Deadpool 2 tomorrow and if I weren’t, I’d definitely be watching this movie a second time.
I also came out of Infinity War with the worst headache. It’s a lot to handle.
This is such a sweet story. Warms my heart when casts become so close. The design of the tattoo is amazing, too. Really creative.
He’s looking so much like Al Pacino these days, lol. But Pacino will always be sexier!
Damn! This is making me emotional. I love it and the 6 of them.
I think SLJ and Loki should have gotten Avengers tattoo too. Maybe not A-6, but something to commemorate they were the first Avengers movie characters of the movie that broke all the box office records and dominated the superhero film industry for the last decade and possibly the next.