The Hulkhas been one of the biggestMarvel characterssince his very introduction in May 1962. Before theMarvel Cinematic Universeentered the fray, the “big three” of Marvel wereWolverine,Spider-Manand the big green rage monster himself. His fame has continued and not died in the years since. He still finds wide renown among fans and general audiences alike andcan even be scary, at times.
While his film distribution rights have prevented him from getting his own solo film afterThe Incredible Hulk, he’s gone on to become a central MCU character through appearances in other movies. He’s a primary character inThe Avengersfranchise and has played a major role in theThorseries, as well. So, even though he hasn’t gotten the chance to be the lead of his own flick in quite a while,he’s kept his fame alive thanks to the other incredible ways he’s been represented in the MCU.
7The Hulk vs. Abomination
‘The Incredible Hulk’ (2008)
The final battle against Abomination (Richard Moll) in Harlem, New York is easily themost iconic and recognizable scene in the movie and Hulk’s (Edward Norton) entire MCU career.When those who are upset with where the character has ended up in recent years reference what they wish Hulk could be, they turn to this scene,as its very rewatchable.
The rage and animalistic characterization in this fight isthe best the Hulk has seen in his cinematic tenure. The not-so-jolly-green-giant has some very iconic moments in this battle, like picking up cars to use as boxing gloves. If one thing is clear, whileThe Incredible Hulkisn’t perfect, it truly understands what makes Hulk so great. The scene not only portrays the character well, but contains some of the most iconic imagery of him in all his films.
The Incredible Hulk
6"I’m always angry."
‘The Avengers’ (2012)
Another one of the most legendary scenes for the character in cinema finds itself in his second MCU appearance,The Avengers. A consistent point of conflict inThe Avengersis the looming threat of the Hulk over the population of the Helicarrier. The conflict comes to a climax when, eventually,Bruce Banner loses control of the monster withinand the Strongest Avenger basically destroys the flying S.H.I.E.L.D. base. After he falls from it, his whereabouts are unknown as the final battle begins in New York.
So, when he makes his appearance at the start of the invasion, everyone is unsure of him. However, when Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) leads a monster their way, Bruce shows off that he, in fact, has some control over the Hulkwithan iconic quote as he transforms: “That’s my secret Captain, I’m always angry.“It’s one of the most notable moments of the movie in general, marking Bruce’s character arc coming full circle and finally uniting the Avengers as one.
The Avengers
A formidable enemy endangers global security, prompting Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., to assemble an extraordinary team of heroes. As tensions rise, this diverse group must unite to prevent a looming catastrophe, leveraging their unique abilities to uphold peace and protect the world from impending disaster.
5Hulk vs. Hulkbuster
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)
One of themost recognizable Iron Man armorsfor Marvel fans is the Hulkbuster. The armor is pretty much self-described. It was built to combat the Hulk, should he ever lose control. So, when this giant suit made its appearance inThe Avengerssequel,Avengers: Age of Ultron, people were pretty excited. It was such a selling point that it was even a major scene used in the trailers.
The wait and hype-building was well worth it when the movie came out. The team behindAvengers: Age of Ultrondid a great job making the fight between the two titans feel equal. Hulk gets some good hits and gives Tony Stark a run for his money. This is one of the best examples of Hulk’s rage and wildness in Mark Ruffalo’s era as the character.It’s also quite moving as the scene ends and the giant witnesses how much the civilians fear him. Plus, who doesn’t love a good hero vs. hero fight?
Avengers: Age of Ultron
When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.
4Hulk vs. Thor
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017)
Audiences and critics alike were already very enthusiastic about Thor (Chris Hemsworth) becoming a more comedic character inThor: Ragnarok, as his second solo outing did not release to much praise. However, excitement grew exponentially as trailers revealed that none other thanthe Hulk would be appearing alongside the God of Thunderin his third entry. His inclusion inThor: Rangarokcontinued where his story had previously left off inAvengers: Age of Ultron, where he flew away to parts unknown.
The Green Avenger ended up being one of the highlights ofThor: Ragnarokand, surprisingly, brought a lot of comedy to the table, too. His best scene, though, is the one featured heavily in the trailers. The first time Thor comes across the long-lost hero, in a battle dome on Sakaar, Hulk is not as happy to see him as a huge fight breaks out.This is the second time he and Thor have duked it out, and it’s far more exciting than the first,inThe Avengers(still a great fight, though). The fight was brutal and very exciting. If anything got fans excited about this thirdThorproject, it was this fight being in the trailers. It’s one ofThor’s most rewatchable scenes.
Thor: Ragnarok
Imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, Thor must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.
3Hulk vs. Thanos
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Hulk isn’t inAvengers: Infinity Warall that much, thanks to his introduction scene at the top of the film. When the story picks up, the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin), has destroyed the Asgardian ship that Thor, Hulk and co were riding after the destruction of Asgard inThor: Ragnarok. As the tension slowly but surely builds while Loki (Tom Hiddleston) stalls for time, Hulk eventually makes his appearance, brutally attacking the Titan and whooping his butt.
However, this serves as the worst beating Hulk has ever taken. While it initially seems like he’s got the upper hand on the main antagonist,Hulk is quickly overtaken and strategically beaten to the ground like he posed no threat in the first place. This defeat not only was a huge moment for his character arc, but did wonders inpower-scaling Thanos for the audienceswatchingAvengers: Infinity Warfor the first time.
Avengers: Infinity War
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
2Hulk Saves the Universe
‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)
The biggest full-circle moment that Hulk has gotten in the MCU is his snapping of the Nano Gauntlet inAvengers: Endgameto bring back the half of the universe that Thanos snapped away. With it being clearly stated that the Infinity Stones give off mostly gamma radiation.“It’s like… I was made for this,” Hulk states before he makes the decision to snap—which could have very well killed him. It only makes sense that a character who has brought so much destruction finishes his arc by restoring instead.
Hulk’s journey throughout the MCU led to this moment, making it one of the most impactful in his cinematic career. It thoroughly damaged his arm, but he didn’t care, because he’s a hero who brings hope, not one who brings destruction. When thinking deeply about it, the scene is actually quite moving.
Avengers: Endgame
1Hulk Recreates ‘Incredible Hulk #181 (1974)’
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (2024)
Deadpool & Wolverineispacked to the brim with surprising cameosand references that had audiences cheering all over the world upon the film’s release. While this film may have been made under the Marvel Studios umbrella, fans didn’t expect there to be many characters from the MCU to appear. However, the Hulk made a quick appearance while Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) hopped through the multiverse, looking for a new Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).
The scene he comes across is a clear recreation ofIncredible Hulk #181 (1974),the issue directly after the first appearance of Wolverine in Marvel Comics, where Hulk and the mutant come to blows with each other. The scene reuses footage, but still counts as an appearance from the character. While it may be small, it’s an incredibly exciting moment.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Wolverine joins the “merc with a mouth” in the third installment of the Deadpool film franchise.
