The Avengers trailer is here

Marvel and Paramount Pictures have released the first official trailer for their upcoming ensemble superhero film, The Avengers.

After browsing through loads of still images taken from cell-phone cameras and the like, we’ve finally got a good look at how the team is going to work together, and what sort of challenges they will face.

The trailer gives us the voice and face of Loki, in confirmation that he’s involved in the conflict, but we’re not shown anythying about the secondary enemy, for which we’ve seen a few images of a crashed spaceship, and heard theories of the Skrull, a race of shape-shifting aliens from the greater Marvel Universe. 

Much of the film will revolve around the themes of leadership and teamwork. The heroes will struggle to become a cohesive unit, and their personalities are sure to clash several times along the way, usually humorously.

Along with the trailer, here is the official long synopsis:

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

The Avengers continues the epic big-screen adventures started in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger”. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. 

Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when Marvel’s The Avengers assemble in summer 2012. 

The Avengers is slated to hit theaters on May 4, 2012, kicking off the summer blockbuster season. Expect to see the trailer in front of pretty well every action movie released from now until then.