LOS ANGELES, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The stars of Marvel Studios' superhero film "Avengers: Endgame" received one of Hollywood's oldest accolades on Tuesday, placing their handprints in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in the western U.S. state of California.
The stars who left their handprints included Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner, along with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, "Avengers: Endgame" is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. It is the epic conclusion to 22 films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin introduced the "Avengers" stars to the stage, where they were greeted by many fans.
"Marvel Studios has taken 10 years of our lives and filled them with these incredible movies. But they are more than just movies, they are parts of people's lives now," Maltin said at the ceremony.
"We really care about these folks, it is not just the characters we care about, but the characters as embodied by these talented actors," he added.
"I was so excited to come to do the ceremony," Scarlett Johansson said after the ceremony. "This is the culmination of 10 years, 22 films, this is the enormous cultural phenomena that is the Avengers, and is the MCU."
Johansson is reportedly the world's highest-paid female lead actress for the past year.
"Avengers: Endgame" continues the story from the last Avengers movie "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), where half of all life in the universe was eliminated due to the actions of Thanos. This time, the remaining Avengers and their allies reassemble to take one final stand and to restore order to the universe.
"I have been a big fan since I was a kid," Brianna Hanover, a long-time Marvel fan, told Xinhua after the ceremony. "I am so excited about this movie, it makes me want to cry thinking it is about to end."
The film made its world premiere in Los Angeles on April 22 and will arrive in theaters in the United States on April 26.
