Avengers: Endgame has arrived in cinemas and is shattering all kinds of box office records in what is one of the biggest and most important cinematic events in history. Nothing like this has ever been seen before and after 11 years and 22 films it's clear that one studio reigns supreme.
But when this all began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man I'm certain that no one could have foreseen what was to come. Marvel was the new kid on the block and they took a big risk in trying to conquer the blockbuster world of entertainment. One brand willing to help them do it was Audi.
Like Marvel, Audi was also only beginning to strike out on their own in the world of high-performance vehicle manufacture and they really wanted to make a statement to the world. What better way to do that than to become an official vehicle sponsor in what would hopefully be a growing franchise. And man were they proved right.
The newly released 2007 Audi R8 proved to be a terrific fit for lead character Tony Stark/Iron Man as well as Marvel star and brand ambassador Robert Downey Jr. With its combination of speed, design, innovation and just straight up cool, the R8 was definitely a hit rolling out of the gate in 2008. The actor would go on to call it 'the re-birth of the cool' and there would be a meteoric rise in both brands following Iron Man's release.
What followed from this first rollout between Audi and Marvel was a brand partnership that would become one of the most exciting things ever seen in motoring history. During the next 11 years, Audi would cement this partnership with it's growing fleet of vehicles and it provided a very impressive sight.
Whenever Robert Downey Jr. was about to return as Iron Man, Audi was waiting for him with a newly crafted R8 design, each cooler and more unique than the last. In 2010's Iron Man 2 he was given a 2009 Audi R8 Spyder for the first time, complete with a 5.2 litre V10 engine. While 2003's Iron Man 3 introduced him to the Audi e-Tron for the first time, although this was only a concept car.
Outside of his main appearances in the Iron Man films, Downey Jr. kept up with his collection of R8's. In 2016's Captain America: Civil War Downey Jr. arrived on the scene in a brand new 2015 Audi R8 V10 plus coupe, which I must say is a personal favourite and again in 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming he made an appearance driving a very cool bright yellow 2016 R8 Spyder.
It wasn't just Downey Jr. who saw the benefit of Audi though. 2015's Ant-Man saw the appearance of the Audi A5 driven by Evangeline Lilly. Then there was Captain America: Civil War which in addition to Downey Jr's R8 also featured the likes of a 2015 Audi SQ7, both the 2012 and 2014 Audi S8D4 and a 2016 Audi A4 B9. Spider-Man: Homecoming also showed off a brand new 2016 Audi TTS Roadster as well.
Then in 2019, 11 years after the Audi R8 first screamed onto the silver screen and marked its position as the slickest sportscar in the world thanks to Tony Stark, the leader of the Avengers was provided with something very cool in the form of the all-new 2019 Audi R8 e-Tron GT for Avengers: Endgame.
Downey Jr. first teased the appearance of the e-Tron GT back in late 2018 when he first visited with Audi Head of Design Marc Lichte to discuss the e-Tron GT and the significance that it held for the film.
Downey Jr. described the e-Tron GT as "the most exciting electric vehicle in history", and it certainly has some impressive stats. Able to generate 434 kilowatts of power this enables the e-Tron GT to reach a top speed of up to 240km/h and it can go 0-100km in just 3.4 seconds. It also has a range of 400 kilometres on a single charge so whether your fighting to save the planet or just looking to go on an adventure you can get up to a lot in this vehicle.
Design also plays a key role in the new e-Tron GT. With its slick metallic paint job, gently sloping roofline and classic Sportback layout, a quintessential Audi feature, this car is an example of the R8 coming full circle.
With a car that's this marvellous, you can be sure that it does have a major role in Avengers: Endgame, and its appearance will certainly put a smile on the faces of Audi fans everywhere.
It's a great send-up for an incredible brand partnership that was built on risk and which has turned into one marvellous love affair. Just what happens next between Audi and Marvel is still to be seen, but Phase Four for these two brands will definitely be exciting.
Avengers: Endgame is in cinemas now.