Avengers: Infinity War is finally upon us! While the Hollywood hype machine has a lot of hyperbole, it’s fair to say that this is the biggest cinematic event that many fans have ever seen. Part of what makes this so special is that it is the culmination of a decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Understandably, many fans have been looking to the past in the lead-up to Infinity War: lots of people have been binge-watching previous movies and digging through their old comic collections. However, we decided to dig just a little bit further than that.

Just as every superhero has their humble beginnings before they are changed by outside forces, our favorite actors had their own humble beginnings before they became household names. And let’s face it: it doesn’t get much more humble than high school. That’s right, true believers: we took a little trip through time (no Time Stone needed) to get some old high school yearbook photos of your favorite MCU stars. Some of them have barely changed over the years, and some of them seem like they are now completely different people! Just keep scrolling to check out Embarrassing Yearbook Pictures of Infinity War stars!

15 CHRIS EVANS

In many ways, Chris Evans is the heart and soul of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His Captain America is an all-American inspiration who leads his team with courage, honor, and an unflagging sense of what’s right. It’s enough to make you wonder if he’s always been that way! Judging by this high school yearbook photo, the answer is “yes.”

Obviously, Evans looks much more fresh-faced here than he does in Infinity War, but we can see all the ingredients of future Cap right here: the honest, open face, complete with an earnest smile. Funny enough, we can also see that he’s been rocking some version of this particular haircut for literally decades! Then again, if you look like Chris Evans, why change things up too much?

14 MARK RUFFALO

When he first came on the MCU scene, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner looked a bit older than fans might have been expecting. While he’s hardly an old man, he looked notably more seasoned than Ed Norton had in the previous Hulk movie. However, Ruffalo won over skeptics with his nervous, nerdy charm in no time at all... and that inner nerdiness looks like it’s been here all along!

From this photo, we can tell that Ruffalo was definitely a smart kid back in high school. In fact, we can visualize him kicking our butts in Chess Club as clearly as we can visualize the modern day Ruffalo transforming into the Hulk. Now, Ruffalo gets to make haters everywhere cry, as he managed to keep the big brains while only getting even more roguishly handsome with each passing year.

13 SCARLET JOHANSSON

Scarlet Johansson shocked many of her fans when the first Infinity War trailer came out. After all, fans had fallen in love with her as the redheaded Black Widow, but now she is sporting a new, blonde hairdo. However, this photo helps show us how good she has always been at adapting to new roles!

On one hand, there’s no mistaking the distinctive features that ScarJo fans love, including mischievous eyes and a fairly disarming smile. However, her high school photo does not have the quiet menace and deadly authority that she imbues the Black Widow character with. This shows us that Johansson is as good at inhabiting a new character as her onscreen persona has ever been! Frankly, we’ve been ready for that solo Black Widow movie for years now.

12 ZOE SALDANA

Gamora’s importance in the MCU has only grown. When we first see her, she is basically a lackey of Ronan who becomes swept up in her adventures with Star-Lord and the other Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, she’s poised to play a major role in taking on Thanos. This particular high school photo showcases how far actor Zoe Saldana has come.

In the photo, we can see the quiet beauty that has driven Saldana’s fans crazy all over the world. However, her smile seems downright demure. Maybe she’s just playing coy, as everyone knows that her future turns her into a strong female role model and one of the noblest and most inspirational MCU heroes this side of Captain America. Unlike her love for Star-Lord, Saldana’s fame is definitely NOT some unspoken thing!

11 CHRIS PRATT

Speaking of Star-Lord, here’s Chris Pratt himself! Part of what made his introduction to the MCU so surprising was his seeming physical transformation: he went from being a funny guy of relatively average build to a six-pack stunner in what seemed like the blink of an eye. However, this old high school photo gives us a glimpse of the old Pratt!

You can definitely see the seeds of the charming hero here, such as his knowing smirk and his blunt stare. However, he seems much more like Andy from Parks and Rec than Star-Lord here, not quite packing the swagger that he will have in later years. However, we think Andy would be pretty pleased that he grew to play someone who is even cooler than FBI Agent Burt Macklin!

10 DON CHEADLE

As he came into the MCU, Don Cheadle initially had an uphill climb ahead of him. He was playing the character of Rhodes, but this character was already famously portrayed by Terrence Howard in the first Iron Man movie. Thus, Cheadle had to bring a familiar character to life while still making the role his own, and he has since charmed us as War Machine. Unlike some of the actors on this list, it’s not hard at all to see the modern Don Cheadle in this old high school photo.

He’s sporting the same intense look in his eyes and rocking the same kind of disdainful look that is usually directed towards Tony Stark on-screen. Aside from a few years and a different hairstyle, the only real difference is a rocking supersuit -- and that’s one hell of an upgrade!

9 JEREMY RENNER

Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye often seems relegated to the back bench. He’s one of the only “normal” humans on a team full of superheroes, and that makes it tough to stand out. Still, he helps embody exactly what a “regular” human can achieve when he applies himself. And he apparently has his own special superpower: improving on his high school look!

In the old photo, we can see Renner sporting a mild smile as well as something we’re not likely to see in the MCU: a mullet! Time has been kind to the actor, and his modern hair style is much more flattering to his face. And while Hawkeye seems to scowl much more than he smiles, it’s tough to deny that this new look he ended up with makes him look better than ever.

8 PAUL RUDD

It’s something of a running joke that Paul Rudd hardly seems to age. As Ant-Man, he looks youthful and fresh-faced, and that’s only intensified when he is next to older actors. However, this old photo shows that Rudd’s look has been known to change from time to time... and, like Renner before him, he’s only gotten better with age! For instance, the high school era Rudd would likely not have been able to wear the iconic Ant-Man helmet.

This is because he’s been blessed with enough hair that it would make even “Bucky with the good hair” Winter Soldier look twice. Modern Rudd has a more streamlined look, but he retains the same perpetual grin and eyes crinkled in faint amusement. Maybe Hank Pym hooked him up with an anti-aging serum along with the suit?

7 COBIE SMULDERS

Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders) is another character whose importance in the MCU has only grown over the years. When she was introduced in Avengers, she came across as little more than Nick Fury’s sidekick. As his importance diminished, though, she took on more of a leadership role, and even after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., she has stayed close to the major sources of power around her.

To be honest, it’s a bit difficult to see the older Maria Hill in Smulders’ high school photo. While Maria Hill often comes across as gruff and all business, the younger Smulders seems ready to both deliver and receive some great jokes. This, of course, served her well when she played the role of Robin for all those years on How I Met Your Mother before she started saving the world in the MCU.

6 ELIZABETH OLSEN

Elizabeth Olsen’s career could not seem more enchanted if her Scarlet Witch character personally put a hex on it. For years, she lived in the shadow of her twin sisters as they turned their Full House fame into a media empire. Elizabeth was the “other” Olsen, but now she plays a Marvel hero whose role only gets bigger with each film. The bottom line? She is now by far the most famous Olsen. Of course, you might have trouble convincing her high school self of that fact.

She seems all business in the old photo, practically daring the photographer to ask her to smile. The older Olsen still has that same strength and defiance, and she partners it with nicely coiffed hair and eyes faintly sparking with hex magic. Frankly, we’re ready to see what her next magic trick is going to be!

5 JOSH BROLIN

For years, Thanos was in the shadows as the mysterious Big Bad of the MCU. We gradually saw more of him in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, and now he’s invading the Earth and taking on all our heroes in Infinity War. He’s a face that makes the universe tremble... but you probably couldn’t tell based on this old photo!

The man behind Thanos is veteran actor Josh Brolin. He is known for many of his gruff, no-nonsense roles, but in this picture of him as a young man, he has an easy smile and a pretty laid back demeanor. We’re guessing young Brolin wouldn’t throw his life away chasing down Infinity Stones, so we’re really curious where everything went wrong with the purple baddie Thanos.

4 CHRIS HEMSWORTH

In Thor: Ragnarok, there is a cute bit where Thor is disappointed that a Quinjet does not recognize his voice as “the strongest Avenger.” While that may or may not be the case, many fans think of Thor actor Chris Hemsworth as the hottest Avenger. As you can see from this old photo, that role has been a lifetime in the making!

As opposed to the older Thor (who has been through major battles and even lost his eye), young Hemsworth is young and much more clean-shaven than fans might have expected. He may not have yet started the workout regimen that gave him such insane muscles in later movies, but young Hemsworth is already rocking the beginnings of the hair that earned him the Quinjet’s actual nickname for him: Point Break , a reference to Iron Man once naming Thor after the classic film.

3 CHADWICK BOSEMAN

It would actually be an understatement to say that Black Panther took the world by storm. It became a full-blown cultural phenomenon, with old and new fans alike readily embracing the motto “Wakanda forever!” This meant that overnight, Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman became a household name. And you can see the beginnings of that serious character way back in high school. On one hand, the younger Boseman looks different from the one we’re familiar with: he’s rocking a nearly bald head and a clean face.

However, his eyes still have all of the intensity that helps us believe that Black Panther is the king of the most advanced nation on the planet. This is the intensity that fans have rallied around, and it looks like Boseman had that intensity for decades.

2 SEBASTIAN STAN

Like some of the others on this list, Sebastian Stan has watched his MCU role get bigger and bigger. He went from having what was basically a bit role in Captain America: The First Avenger to being the central villain in Captain America: Winter Soldier. And the entire plot revolved around him in Captain America: Civil War. Now, it looks like his Winter Soldier is coming back in a big way in Infinity War.

Judging by the photo, the young Sebastian Stan would be quite happy to take on the challenge! He comes across as youthful and energetic, ready to take on whatever life throws his way. While stylish, his short hair is nowhere near the length that would later spawn all of those “Bucky with the good hair” memes. And, of course, his younger incarnation is smiling and happy... something we don’t see a lot of for Bucky.

1 ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.

The MCU has ended up being a very, very big tent. That’s part of why so many fans are excited for Infinity War: it’s Marvel’s first time taking all of their toys out at once and playing with them. However, the MCU was effectively launched by one man: if the world didn’t buy Robert Downey, Jr. as a snarky superhero, then the entire enterprise would crumble. Spoilers: the world bought it. While the actor had some offscreen drama, he channeled that to create a hero traumatized by his past and determined to make the world a better place.

Looking at his high school photo, you can see how different the star now looks, though it’s clear that his handsome smirk and impish eyes never went away. And, thanks to CGI wizardry like the fake flashback in Civil War, Marvel can bring this young version to life whenever they want!