The Incredible Hulk is one of the most famous comic book superheroes, especially since he had one of the first major television series centered around him decades ago. The show starring Lou Ferrigno helped make the character a household name, so naturally there were several attempts at movies about him.
These have mostly been a mix and match, but thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Hulk has continued to appear in plenty of team-up movies as well. Not to mention the uncredited cameos in the post-credits scenes of Iron Man 3, Captain Marveland Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsBruce Banner/Hulk has appeared in seven live-action movies over the years.
seven Hulk (2003) – 5.6
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It was the first real attempt to bring the Hulk to the big screen, likely trying to capitalize on the popularity of films featuring Spider-Man and the X-Men in previous years. The major problem was that director Ang Lee was more interested in telling a personal story that worked as a character study of Bruce Banner and his split personality with the Hulk.
It’s a good idea in itself, but the public at the time wanted more action. They were dying to see the Hulk smash things and this movie was more about Hulk emotionality. Pontoon tells the hero’s origin story, features his romance with Betty Ross, and has the military pursue Banner as you’d expect. Ultimately, reviews were mixed here even though the special effects certainly don’t hold up.
6 The Incredible Hulk (2008) – 6.6
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We often forget it when we talk about the MCU but The Incredible Hulk was actually the second film in the franchise. Since it was distributed by a different studio and stars Edward Norton, who later left the MCU, many fans don’t even sit on it when rewatching the entire MCU. That said, it’s a very good movie.
Instead of telling the origin story, the plot picks up years later as Bruce moved to Brazil and tried to isolate himself while searching for a cure. Of course, things eventually lead to a reconciliation with Betty and a fight against military forces. It all culminated in a big CGI battle against Abomination, a villain who recently returned to the MCU.
5 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – 7.3
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Although these Avengers films were a team effort, the Hulk still played a central role in the story. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bruce Banner does his best to avoid transforming if he doesn’t have to. He attempts to stay as calm as possible and he develops a romance with Natasha Romanoff which has received a mixed response at best.
A highlight of this film saw Hulk being influenced by Wanda Maximoff and wreaking havoc in South Africa until he fought Tony Stark in his Hulkbuster armor. It was the kind of big, epic fight that audiences have been waiting for the Hulk on the big screen for years. Hulk helped defeat Ultron and his army before departing on the Quinjet and not appearing again for several films.
4 Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – 7.9
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The Hulk’s big comeback is here Thor: Ragnarok, marking the character’s first major appearance in a non-Avengers or non-Hulk film. His Quinjet adventure took him to the planet Sakaar where he spent two years participating in gladiatorial combat and being revered as the most awesome champion on the planet.
While it was fun and his fight against Thor was arguably the best the Hulk has ever had, it was an important movie for the character. Banner was in Hulk form for two whole years, which had never happened before. This started a chain of events regarding the relationship between man and monster.
3 The Avengers (2012) – 8.0
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After Edward Norton’s departure from the MCU, Mark Ruffalo took over the role and he made his debut in The Avengers. The idea here was that Banner was brought in alongside various superheroes, but purely for his brains and not his brawn. Of course, that doesn’t go over too well, and he ends up transforming into the Hulk for two explosive scenes.
During the Battle of New York, the Hulk is arguably the show stealer as he manages to smash and destroy everything in his path. This film also shed light on just how difficult things are for Bruce Banner, as he admitted to having attempted suicide at one point only for the Hulk to spit the bullet out. In the eyes of many fans, this was Hulk’s best on-screen portrayal and it only kept getting better.
2 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 8.4
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Hulk is only briefly in Avengers: Infinity War but his scene is impactful. He fights Thanos and is beaten quite easily, which goes a long way towards showing just how powerful the villain really is. For the rest of the film, the Hulk refused to come out, leaving Bruce Banner to fend for himself.
It’s an important aspect of the story because it’s the first time the audience understands just how much damage Thanos caused him. It’s interesting how Banner has to defend himself, including wearing the Hulkbuster armor and being the one who killed Cull Obsidian during the Battle of Wakanda.
1 Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 8.4
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In many ways, the Hulk is more important than ever in Avenger: Endgame. In the five years since Thanos’ downfall, Banner has found a way to fuse muscle with brain, allowing him to retain control of his genius intellect in Hulk form. It was the best of both worlds and Banner gained confidence.
He also played a significant role in the Time Heist through interaction with The Ancient One. To top it all off, it was Hulk who snapped his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet and brought everyone dusted back from existence, giving him the ultimate heroic moment. Not only was it the highest rated movie starring the Hulk, but it was also probably the best movie for the character overall.
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