Season 3 (The Avengers)

The third season of the American television series The Avengers, based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, follows the Avengers and spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. as they deal with new threats. The season was produced by ABC Studios, Marvel Television, and Mutant Enemy Productions, with Kevin Feige, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely serving as showrunners.

Timothy Olyphant leads as Tony Stark/Iron Man, starring alongside the returning series regulars Justin Hartley, Chris Hemsworth, Michael C. Hall, Evangeline Lilly, Katie Cassidy, Mike Vogel, Anthony Mackie, Adrianne Palicki, Cobie Smulders, and Denzel Washington. They are joined by Elizabeth Olsen and Sarah Michelle Gellar who were promoted from recurring guest roles in the second season. The third season was ordered in May 2012, and filmed from that October to the following March. It takes inspiration from the Dark Phoenix Saga comic, combining it with the series' Mutant and Purifier storylines.

Main

 * Timothy Olyphant as Tony Stark/Iron Man
 * Justin Hartley as Steve Rogers/Captain America
 * Chris Hemsworth as Thor
 * Michael C. Hall as Hank Pym/Ant-Man
 * Evangeline Lilly as Janet van Dyne/Wasp
 * Katie Cassidy as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
 * Mike Vogel as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
 * Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon
 * Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird
 * Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
 * Sarah Michelle Gellar as Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix
 * Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
 * Denzel Washington as Nick Fury

Production
Planning for the season began in April, despite the season not yet being officially green-lit. When it was decided that the Dark Phoenix story arc would be the main plot of the third season, the series was forced to be pushed to mid-season to give time for Sarah Michelle Gellar to give birth. The season was cut down to 18 episodes so that a filming start time of October could be viable. Filming officially commenced on October 6, 2012 and concluded on March 27, 2013. The season was split into thirds by the writers; a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning features the introduction of the Hellfire Club, Purifiers, and Jean Grey's strange visions. The middle features the introduction of the Shi'ar and the climax of the Hellfire Club's story. The end features the final battle between Jean Grey and the Avengers.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 78% based on 55 reviews. On IGN, the season was given a 8.7/10 "Great" rating. The premiere received generally positive reviews. IGN rated the episode 7.9/10, while The A.V. Club graded it A-, and Entertainment Weekly a B+, and Vulture gave it 4 out of 5 stars.