The Incredible Hulk has been a fan favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s been ruthless and he’s been funny. But what are his best moments?
More than a few actors have played the Hulk over the years. First, Lou Ferrigno played him from 1977-1982. Over 20 years later, Eric Bana played him and almost ruined the Hulk franchise for good. Thankfully, in 2008, Edward Norton took over and saved the franchise. Unfortunately, after a dispute with the studios, Norton was no longer the Hulk. This ended up being a blessing in disguise.
While Norton was a good Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo came in and gave moviegoers and comic book fans the Bruce Banner AND Hulk we deserved.
Mark Ruffalo was the soft-spoken and insecure Bruce Banner that we’ve seen in the comics. He even had a bit of a slouch. Little things like that made him the perfect Bruce Banner. When he was the Hulk, he was perfect. The technology used to make him that Hulk showed that he had Hulk’s facial expressions on point. Seeing him as Ruffalo yelling and growling was perfect.
Over the years, the Hulk in the MCU has had more than a few great moments. It could be argued that he had most of the best moments in the Avengers movies. To hit the point home, without Hulk, Thor: Ragnarok wouldn’t have been as good. That said, what were the best Hulk moments in the MCU?
9. Hulk vs Abomination
Movie: Incredible Hulk
This was the first time we’d get to see the Hulk fight someone his own size. He and Emil Blonsky (The Abomination) had a fight that leveled everything in their path. While Hulk is the strongest there is, Emil taught him a valuable lesson. His strength isn’t going to win every fight. Since Emil kept his mind (and Emil was a great fighter with a military mind) it wasn’t difficult to keep his advantage.
Their fight continued on the top of a building where Emil was getting the best of him. Hulk was down. On top of that, his girlfriend Betty Ross was in immediate danger after her helicopter crashed on the roof. Hulk gathered the last bit of his strength and with a mighty roar yelled, “HULK…SMASH!” He pounded his fist into the ground. The impact caused ripples in the ground that made Emil lose his grip on his weapon. This gave him the advantage to win the fight.
The first big fight scene in the first Hulk movie was beyond disappointing. Thankfully, this fight made up for it. Hulk learned for the first time that it takes more than brute strength to beat someone. The best part was when he yelled out “Hulk Smash” before he choked out the Abomination with a giant chain.
8. Hulk VS Hulkbuster
Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Bruce Banner was the latest victim of the Scarlet Witch’s mind games. Her powers caused Bruce to turn into the Hulk and sent the Hulk into a rage. Tony Stark was prepared for something like this to happen. He created an armor just in case the Hulk went all, well, Hulk.
While Stark did well in this fight, that isn’t good enough to stop the Hulk. Hulk flat-out beat Iron Man down. Even worse was he started adapting to Iron Man’s attacks. He smacked Stark’s reserve parts away before they could get to him and even used Iron Man’s momentum against him. The destruction caused by these two was massive.
We’ve seen the Hulk fight the Abomination. This was a glimpse of what the Hulk looks like when he completely cuts loose. He didn’t have any regard for the innocent bystanders or the destruction he caused. We also got to see that the Hulk isn’t as dumb as people make him out to be. Sure, he can barely form complete sentences at times, but he’s far from an idiot. If he was, his brute strength wouldn’t mean anything. Imagine what would have happened if Iron Man wasn’t around to try and stop him.
7. Hulk and Thor
Movie: Thor: Ragnarok
The relationship between Hulk and Thor is like a sibling rivalry. Both trying to prove to the other that they are stronger and better than their counterpart. This all came to a head in Thor: Ragnarok.
Thor was forced to fight in an arena for the amusement of the people of Sakaar and their ruler, the Grandmaster. When Hulk came out to the arena, Thor was ecstatic. He thought he gained an ally. Instead, he ended up getting into a fight. Fans of the Avengers franchise in the movies and comics had been waiting for this fight for years and it didn’t disappoint. It was a hard-fought battle that ended when the Grandmaster cheated to let his champion (Hulk) win the fight.
When Thor woke up, he yelled at the Hulk for not helping him. To Thor’s surprise, Hulk was hurt. He even called Thor a bad friend. After all this time, he cared what people (and apparently Thor) thought about him.
Who would have thought that the Hulk and Thor would have a sentimental moment together? Thor consoled Hulk and let him know that he didn’t hate him. After that, they had a heart-to-heart. What passes for one anyway. He explained his rage the best way he could and it made sense. Despite this scene being funny, it wasn’t without its deeper purpose. We all understood the Hulk’s rage.
6. Beatdown from Thanos
Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
Hulk went most of his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe not taking any losses. Even with his fight in Sakaar, he technically won since the Grandmaster interfered. In Avengers: Infinity War, the Incredible Hulk took his first major loss at the hands of the Mad Titan Thanos.
Hulk went in thinking that this was going to be just another fight. Then Thanos gave him a shot to the throat and it went downhill from there. Thanos ended the fight quickly and finished it with a body slam. If it wasn’t for Heimdall’s interference, he would have been killed and no one would have been there to warn Doctor Strange and Tony Stark that Thanos was coming.
Following the beatdown, the Hulk was hesitant to come back out and fight and it was later explained the purpose was to show how the Hulk was tired of playing hero to Bruce Banner. It also helped pave the way for Smart-Hulk’s formal introduction.
This was important because the Hulk could have changed the course of Avengers: Infinity War. He would have made short work of Ebony Maw and his brute of a sidekick Cull Obsidian. Instead, we got the insecure Bruce Banner who isn’t a versed fighter. This did get us Bruce looking awkward in the Hulkbuster suit. A win-win?
5. Assassin and the Hulk
Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff got close between The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Their relationship was highlighted early in the movie when she was the person used to calm the Hulk down. Taking away the rage of the Hulk is impressive enough. What made the scene even better was when Bruce was shivering in the Quinjet and she watched over him longingly.
Later in the movie, Bruce and Natasha had a scene that ranks as one of the saddest moments in the MCU. After the Hulk went all out and almost leveled a city, Bruce was going to run and hide. Natasha was willing to go with him. When Bruce said there was no future because they couldn’t have kids, she told him something that probably brought a tear to every eye in the theater. While Natasha was trained, they sterilized her to make her a more efficient killer. She then asked him if he thought he was still the only monster on the team.
Too bad their love wasn’t meant to be. When the world was threatened, she made the decision to change Bruce into the Hulk thus choosing the world over their love. When the battle was over, he left the Earth without her.
A lot of time in Marvel movies is spent fighting and making jokes. We sometimes forget that these characters are more than their powers and abilities. This showed that. Natasha and Hulk are looked at as weapons. This may be the reason why they bonded so easily.
4. Smart Hulk
Movie: Avengers: Endgame
The last time we saw Bruce Banner in Avengers: Infinity War, he was unable to turn back into the Hulk. The beating he took from Thanos did a number on his ego. Thankfully he had the Hulkbuster armor to help him in the final battle in Wakanda. After the snap, Bruce Banner was left unable to turn into the Hulk.
Soon after Avengers: Endgame began, Thor, Banner, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Nebula, Black Widow, Rocket, and War Machine made their way to Thanos. When they arrive, Thanos tells them he destroyed the stones. This left them with no hope of returning the world back to normal. Or so they thought.
Scott Lang returns to tell the Avengers only five hours passed in the Quantum Realm while five years passed on Earth. Since time travel was possible, they could fix their present. They went to Tony Stark, but he refused to help. Cap, Black Widow, and Scott go to the next big brain, Dr. Bruce Banner. Who looked…different from the last time they met.
Months passed and Bruce couldn’t change back into the Hulk. Eventually, Bruce stopped looking at the Hulk as a curse. Once that happened, they became one. All of the strength and the brains in one body. Soon after, Bruce became a celebrity. He even started taking pictures with people. We knew Smart Hulk was coming, but who knew it would be as entertaining as it was?
3. That’s my secret, Cap
Movie: The Avengers
Bruce Banner turned into the Hulk and wreaked havoc on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Thankfully, he was taken off the ship before he did irreversible damage. After falling off the Helicarrier, Bruce woke up back in his human form and had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he had another Hulk episode. After getting some clothes from a security guard, he found his way back to the rest of the Avengers (just like Stark said he would). After apologizing for being horrible, Black Widow said they could use, “a little worse.”
Stark tells Cap to get Banner to suit up because he’s, “bringing the party to them.” By party he meant a giant Chitauri serpent. Banner turns and slowly walks towards it. Cap tells Bruce that now would be a good time to get angry. Bruce then says what may be his most iconic line in the entire movie. “That’s my secret, Cap. I’m always angry.” Bruce transforms into the Hulk and takes that beast down with one punch.
The Hulk turned the tide of the fight with that one moment. The Chitauri all looked on in terror. They probably even pooped their pants. Well, if they do poop. Mark Ruffalo dropped that line and executed it with perfection. Brilliantly done.
2. The Hulk snap
Movie: Avengers: Endgame
The Avengers set out to get the Infinity Stones from the past. The idea was if they can get them from the past and then put them back exactly where and when they were taken, there shouldn’t be any change in their present. Yes, time travel is always confusing.
After a few mishaps along the way, the Avengers all came back with their Infinity Stones. Now the hard part, who was going to use them?
They all argued about who should use them for a brief moment and, in the end, it was Bruce Banner who won the debate. Not only was he the strongest Avenger (sorry, Thor, but it’s true), but the Infinity Stones contain gamma radiation. This is the same radiation that made Bruce Banner the Hulk. Bruce put on Tony Stark’s Infinity Gauntlet made out of his Iron Man armor and snapped his fingers.
There was a long pause. Silence grew over the Avengers (and in the audience in the theater). Did it work? Then, there were birds chirping and a cell phone rang. It was Clint Barton’s wife, who was dusted during Thanos’ snap. She was alive.
This was a deep moment. The Hulk was willing to sacrifice his life for the universe. If we’re being honest, there was no way he knew he’d survive using the Infinity Stones like that,. Nonetheless, he was willing to try anyway. It was a team effort to get the stones, but it was Bruce Banner who brought everyone back.
1. I will not be bullied by…
Movie: The Avengers
Loki was riding high. Literally on a sky jet ski and figuratively because he thought his plan to help Thanos was going exactly the way he wanted it to. The Avengers were too busy fighting the Chitauri to focus on him. Loki had this pompous look on his face until Hawkeye wiped it off with an exploding arrow. The arrow sent Loki crashing into Avengers tower where he was almost immediately met by an attacking Hulk.
Before the Hulk could finish Loki off, Loki yelled at him and stopped him in his track. Admittedly, that was impressive. Then, Loki did something foolish. He insulted the Hulk. He bragged about being a god and how the Hulk was a miserable creature. The Hulk grabbed Loki’s leg mid-sentence and proceeded to give Loki the worst beating in movie history.
It’s doubtful anyone will receive a pounding this bad in the future. Not only was it quick, but it was brutal. Hulk tossed this god around like he was a rag-doll. Then, he looked at Loki for a second and slammed him two more times for good measure. To add literal insult to injury, Hulk walked away with a swagger and called Loki a “Puny God.” Loki was left shocked, beaten, and in an unimaginable amount of pain.
And there you have it. The Hulk’s greatest Marvel Cinematic Universe moments! Did yours make the cut and which moment were you surprised didn’t make the cut? Keep the conversation going in the comments section below.