Marvel: 9 greatest Hulk moments from the MCU ranked worst to best
By Mark Lynch
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?