Bruce Banner (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

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Hulk (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
)

Bruce Banner
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Bruce Banner / Hulk as portrayed by Edward Norton (left) in The Incredible Hulk and portrayed by Mark Ruffalo (right) in The Avengers (2012)
First appearanceThe Incredible Hulk (2008)
Based on
Hulk
by
Adapted byZak Penn
Portrayed by
Voiced by
In-universe information
Alias
  • Hulk
  • Mr. Green
  • Smart Hulk
  • Smug Hulk
SpeciesHuman
Title
Occupation
Affiliation
  • Avengers
  • Culver University
  • Revengers
  • S.H.I.E.L.D.
Weapon
Family
  • Jennifer Walters
    (cousin)
  • Elaine Walters (aunt)
  • Morris Walters (uncle)
Significant others
Children
Skaar (son)[c]
NationalityAmerican

Bruce Banner is a fictional character in the

gamma radiation, transforms into a large, muscular creature with green skin whenever his heart rate goes above 200 beats per minute or when facing mortal danger. As the Hulk, he possesses superhuman
abilities, including increased strength and durability.

Over time, Banner demonstrates an increasing ability to control the transformation, and he becomes a founding member of the

Skaar
.

Banner is a central MCU character, having appeared in nine MCU films as of 2023. The character was introduced in the titular film The Incredible Hulk (2008), portrayed in that film by Edward Norton before being recast to Mark Ruffalo. The character has been generally well-received by critics and audiences alike, but his inconsistent characterization has received some criticism. Ruffalo voices several alternate versions of Banner in the animated series What If...?.

Fictional character biography

Origin

Bruce Banner is a renowned scientist, physicist, and

U.S. military
and Ross in particular, who wants to weaponize the Hulk process.

Fugitive

Five years later in 2010,

Emil Blonsky
to capture him. Banner transforms into the Hulk and defeats Blonsky's team. Blonsky agrees to be injected with a similar serum, which gives him enhanced speed, strength, agility, and healing, but also begins to deform his skeleton and impair his judgment.

Banner returns to Culver University and reunites with Betty, but is attacked a second time by Ross and Blonsky's forces, again transforming into the Hulk. The Hulk seemingly kills Blonsky and flees with Betty. After the Hulk reverts to Banner, he and Betty go on the run, and Banner contacts Mr. Blue, who urges them to meet him in New York City. Mr. Blue, revealed to be cellular biologist Dr.

Samuel Sterns, has developed a possible antidote to Banner's condition. After a successful test, he warns Banner that the antidote may only reverse each individual transformation. Sterns reveals he has synthesized Banner's blood samples, which Banner sent from Brazil, into a large supply, with the intention of applying its "limitless potential" to medicine. Fearful of the Hulk's power falling into the military's hands, Banner wishes to destroy the blood supply. Banner is caught, and Blonsky has Sterns use Banner's blood to turn him into the Abomination. Blonsky then rampages through Harlem. Realizing that only the Hulk can stop Blonsky, Banner jumps from Ross' helicopter and transforms after hitting the ground. After a long and brutal battle through Harlem, the Hulk defeats Blonsky and flees. Banner soon ends his relationship with Betty, realizing it can no longer work. A month later, in Bella Coola, British Columbia
, Banner successfully transforms in a controlled manner.

Member of the Avengers

In 2012, Banner is working as a doctor in

Stark Tower
, and saves Stark from crashing into the ground after losing power through the wormhole.

After the Battle of New York, Banner forms a close friendship with Stark and works with him closely, even requesting him to build an anti-Hulk armor to stop him in case he loses control and goes on a rampage. In 2013, Stark shared stories of his experience with the Extremis formula with Banner while they are relaxing in the Tower, seeking advice. Banner falls asleep during it, stating that he was not "that kind of doctor".

In 2015, Banner and the Avengers raid a

Quinjet
and leaves Earth.

Sakaar and Ragnarok

After Hulk is lost in space, the Quinjet crash lands on the landfill planet

Grandmaster
of Sakaar, who forces him to fight against other contestants in gladiatorial combat. He rises the ranks, remaining undefeated and winning the admiration of the people of Sakaar, and becoming the Grandmaster's "Champion".

In 2017, Thor crashes on Sakaar, and after being captured by

Statesman
, a Sakaaran vessel bound for Earth.

Infinity War

In 2018,

Outriders and manages to get the upper hand on Obsidian. He is pleased when Thor, Rocket, and Groot arrive to help. In the forest, he witnesses Thanos's arrival, and is promptly trapped in rocks by Thanos and unable to fight back. After Thanos activates the Infinity Gauntlet and teleports away, Banner is a survivor of the Blip
.

Banner, the surviving Avengers, and Rocket return to the Avengers Compound and are shortly met by Carol Danvers. He then witnesses Danvers returning Stark back to Earth and reunites with him, helping him get sedated and rest. He accompanies the surviving Avengers, Danvers, Rocket, and Nebula back into space to the planet Titan II to confront Thanos only to find out he destroyed the Infinity Stones.[e]

Smart Hulk form

Time Heist and reversing the Blip

Bruce Banner / Hulk, colloquially dubbed "Smart Hulk" or "Professor Hulk", as portrayed by Mark Ruffalo via motion capture in Avengers: Endgame

In between 2018 and 2023, Banner undergoes gamma experimentation to balance his two sides in a remote beach house lab located in Mexico built by Stark. By 2023, he is now permanently in the body of the Hulk but with the mind and voice of Banner.

Ancient One
(to whom he promises to return the Stones to their respective periods in time when the Avengers are done with their mission).

Banner then returns to the present, but is devastated to learn of Romanoff's death, who had to sacrifice herself to retrieve the Soul Stone. After mourning her with the original Avengers, Banner, Stark, and Rocket combine the stones with the Stark Gauntlet. Banner then volunteers to activate the Infinity Stones, citing his general strength and his specific resistance to gamma radiation. He does so and reverses

Mjolnir. He, Bucky Barnes
, and Sam Wilson witness an elderly Rogers return and give his shield to Wilson.

Meeting Shang-Chi

By 2024, Banner creates a device to heal his arm, keeping him in human form,

father
.

Training Jennifer Walters and Meeting His Son

Banner and his cousin, lawyer

Jennifer Walters, go on a road trip in California
but are intercepted by a Sakaaran eight-courier craft ship, causing Walters to crash the car. Banner bleeds, and his blood is accidentally cross-contamined with Walters', resulting in Walters transforming into a Hulk and running away; Banner eventually retrieves her and uses the lethal gamma dose she took to completely heal his arm. In Mexico, Banner trains Walters on controlling her Hulk form, however she rejects the idea of being a superhero and wants to return to her legal career. The pair get into a fight and Banner eventually accepts Walters wanting to leave and bids her farewell. A few months later, Banner takes off in the Sakaaran spaceship to investigate the message from the car crash and return to Sakaar; while there, he receives a call from Walters and encourages her to take on the case of representing Emil Blonsky, as they have made amends. Banner also indicates approval of Walters' new superhero name "She-Hulk", given to her by the media, saying that "She-Hulk, attorney-at-law" has a nice ring to it.

Later, Banner returns to Earth with his son,

Skaar. They crash a family gathering in Los Angeles where he introduces Skaar to Walters, her parents, their cousin, aunts and uncles, and Matt Murdock
.

Alternate versions

Other versions of Banner are depicted in the alternate realities of the MCU multiverse.

2012 variant

In an alternate 2012, Banner, as the Hulk, and the Avengers defeat the Chitauri army during the Battle of New York. After defeating Loki at Stark Tower, Banner complains that he has to take the stairs and not the elevator like the others. When he gets to the bottom level, he bumps into Earth-616 Stark causing him to drop his briefcase.

What If...? (2021–present)

Several alternate versions of Banner appear in the animated series What If...?, with Ruffalo reprising his role.

Concept and creation

The Hulk first appeared as a comic book character in The Incredible Hulk #1 (cover dated May 1962), written by Stan Lee, penciled and co-plotted by Jack Kirby,[3][4] and inked by Paul Reinman. Lee cited influence from Frankenstein[5] and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the Hulk's creation,[6] while Kirby recalled as inspiration the tale of a mother who rescues her child who is trapped beneath a car.[7] Lee gave the Hulk's alter ego the alliterative name "Bruce Banner" because he found he had less difficulty remembering alliterative names.[8] The Hulk was initially grey, but coloring problems led to the creature being made green.[9] Banner and his alter ego appeared in a 1978 live-action TV series, and in a 2003 film that received mixed reviews,[10] with Marvel Studios regaining the film production rights for the character in February 2006.[11]

In the mid-2000s, Kevin Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of the Avengers, which now included Hulk. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.[12] Louis Leterrier, who had expressed interest in directing Iron Man, was brought on board to direct, with a screenplay by Zak Penn intended to serve as a loose sequel to the 2003 film, but keeping the story closer to the comics and the 1978 television series.[13] David Duchovny was a front-runner for the film,[14] and Leterrier's original choice for the role was Mark Ruffalo.[15] In April 2007, Edward Norton was hired to portray Banner and to rewrite Penn's screenplay in order to distance itself from the 2003 film and establish its own identity as a reboot, although he would go uncredited for his writing. Producer Gale Anne Hurd recalled Norton's portrayals of duality in Primal Fear and Fight Club,[16] while Norton reminded Kevin Feige of Bill Bixby, who had played Banner in the 1978 TV series.[17] Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk with Bixby, remarked Norton "has a similar physique [and a] similar personality".[18] Norton was a Hulk fan, citing the first comic appearances, the Bixby TV show, and Bruce Jones' run on the comic, as his favorite depictions of the character.[19][20] He had expressed interest in the role for the first film.[13] He initially turned down the part, recalling "there [was] the wince factor or the defensive part of you that recoils at what the bad version of what that would be", as he felt the previous film "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, [...] which is a fugitive story". When he met Leterrier and Marvel, he liked their vision, and believed they were looking to him to guide the project.[21] During the 2008 New York Comic Con Leterrier publicly offered Lou Ferrigno the chance to voice the Hulk for the film.[22] Originally, the Hulk's only line was "Betty" at the film's ending, which would have been his first word. Leterrier was aware that fans wanted him to speak normally, and added "leave me alone" and "Hulk smash!" The latter line received cheers during a screening he attended.[23]

Current portrayer Mark Ruffalo at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, promoting Thor: Ragnarok.

Mark Ruffalo began his role as Banner / Hulk in The Avengers, after Feige said he chose not to bring back Norton.[24][25] Norton has since asserted that it was his own decision never to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" with his career, and did not want to be associated with only one character.[26] Screen Rant has noted that, in part due to the change in actors, "many forget that Incredible Hulk is even canon within the MCU".[27] In April 2012, despite Ruffalo being on board to play the Hulk in the sequel, Feige confirmed to Collider that Marvel had no plans at that time to film another Hulk film.[28] In a Q&A session, Feige and Ruffalo confirmed that discussions were underway to produce another Hulk film due to the positive audience response to Ruffalo's performance in The Avengers.[29] However, Universal retained the distribution rights for The Incredible Hulk as well as the right of first refusal to distribute future Hulk films.[30] In September 2012, Feige, while exploring all possible story options for a sequel film, including a film based on the "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" storylines, stated, "everything [in terms of stories from the comics] is on the table. Do I think Hulk can carry a movie and be as entertaining as he was in Avengers? I do believe that. I do believe he absolutely could. We certainly are not even going to attempt that until Avengers 2. So there's a lot of time to think about it".[31]

In June 2014, Ruffalo said he believed the studio might be considering doing a new standalone Hulk film, saying, "I think they are, for the first time, entertaining the idea of it. When we did The Avengers it was basically 'No!', and now there is some consideration for it. But there's still nothing definitive, not even a skeletal version of what it would be".[32] In July, Feige stated that the studio was not considering a "Planet Hulk" film at that time, due to wanting to feature Ruffalo's Banner in the film. However, he did not rule out a story that saw the Hulk and Banner end up in space and explained why a solo Hulk film did not occur in Phase Two of the MCU by saying, "After the first Avengers, Iron Man had his own movie, Thor had his own movie, Captain America had his own movie, and Widow and Fury were in The Winter Soldier. So it was really about, frankly, saving somebody so that the only place you could get Hulk between Avengers movies is the next Avengers movie, so [director Joss Whedon] could continue to play with that in [Avengers: Age of Ultron]. Where we go after that, we'll see".[33]

In April 2015, Ruffalo noted that Universal holding the distribution rights to Hulk films may be an obstacle to releasing a future Hulk standalone film

theme parks.[37] In December 2015, Ruffalo stated that the strained relationship between Marvel and Universal may be another obstacle to releasing a future standalone Hulk film.[38] The following month, he indicated that the lack of a standalone Hulk film allowed the character to play a more prominent role in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, stating, "We've worked a really interesting arc into Thor[: Ragnarok], Avengers[: Infinity War], and [Avengers: Endgame] for Banner that I think will—when it's all added up—will feel like a Hulk movie, a standalone movie".[39]

Charles Pulliam-Moore, writing for

Ultron and the Vision, a character who in the comics was created solely by Ultron. The Vision, in the films, is created as a counter to Ultron, who had previously been created by Stark and Bruce Banner. In the comics, however, Ultron is created by a different member of the Avengers, Hank Pym.[41]

Due to the lack of freestanding films about the Hulk, the character has been depicted in very few of the storylines shown in the comic books. In particular, the "Planet Hulk" storyline from the comic books is highly condensed and worked into Thor: Ragnarok; the comic book storyline has the heroes of Earth intentionally sending the Hulk into space due to his excessively dangerous nature,[42] while the MCU Hulk leaves Earth of his own accord. The merged Banner/Hulk storyline depicted in Avengers: Endgame also differs from the comics, where a comparable merger was accomplished by hypnosis performed by superhero psychiatrist Doc Samson.[43] In the MCU, Banner accomplishes the merger by himself, through experimentation with gamma radiation.

Appearances

Film

FX Guide called Ruffalo's Hulk "the most successful Hulk" in comparison to "the less than fully successful earlier attempts at digital Hulks." Seymour explained, "Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk and Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk both failed in producing a Hulk that could walk the digital tightrope of impressive near undefeatable strength, huge body mass, fast agile movement, raw anger and likable performance." He stated that on contrary Ruffalo's Hulk had "both dynamic action sequences and crowd pleasing moments of humor and dialogue". In order to achieve this, Industrial Light & Magic created a new motion capture and facial animation system. Hulk's face was generated from a life cast / scan of Ruffalo's face, which was then manipulated in the program ZBrush to become the Hulk, while making sure to retain Ruffalo's essence.[50] Ruffalo reprised the role in Iron Man 3 (2013),[51] Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[52] Thor: Ragnarok (2017),[53] Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019),[54] Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).[55]

A sequel to The Incredible Hulk has been discussed, with Marvel Studios having suggested a possible release after Avengers: Age of Ultron due to the positive audience reception towards Ruffalo's portrayal of Banner in The Avengers.[56] Ruffalo is set to reprise his role in any future adaptation of the character.[47] In June 2014, Ruffalo said he believed the studio might be considering doing a new standalone Hulk film, saying, "I think they are, for the first time, entertaining the idea of it. When we did The Avengers it was basically 'No!', and now there is some consideration for it. But there's still nothing definitive, not even a skeletal version of what it would be."[57] In December 2014, Joss Whedon said despite the positive reception to Ruffalo, a new solo Hulk film had not been announced because Marvel wished to have a character that only appears in Avengers films.[58] In April 2015, Ruffalo told Collider that Universal holding the distribution rights to Hulk films may be an obstacle to releasing a future Hulk standalone film.[34] Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures regained the film distribution rights to The Incredible Hulk and future solo Hulk films in June 2023, coinciding with the film's release on Disney+.[59]

Television

Archival footage of the character appears in "Glorious Purpose", the first episode of the Disney+ television series Loki (2021). Ruffalo voices alternate versions of Banner in the Disney+ animated series What If...? (2021-2023).[60] Ruffalo reprised his role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).[61]

Other media

Ruffalo reprised his role as Bruce Banner in the non-

Team Thor
(2016).

Characterization

For The Incredible Hulk, Louis Leterrier stated that Edward Norton's rewrite of the script "has given Bruce's story real gravitas", explaining that "just because we're making a superhero movie it doesn't have to just appeal to 13-year-old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new

Greek gods".[62] In taking up the character for The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo said, "He's a guy struggling with two sides of himself—the dark and the light—and everything he does in his life is filtered through issues of control. I grew up on the Bill Bixby TV series, which I thought was a really nuanced and real human way to look at the Hulk. I like that the part has those qualities".[63] Regarding the Hulk's place on the team, Ruffalo said, "He's like the teammate none of them are sure they want on their team. He's a loose cannon. It's like, 'Just throw a grenade in the middle of the group and let's hope it turns out well!"[64]

By Age of Ultron, Ruffalo stated that his character had grown since the previous film and was "a bit more complex",[65] with a confrontation brewing between Banner and the Hulk: "There's a very cool thing happening: Hulk is as afraid of Banner as Banner is afraid of Hulk.. and they have got to come to peace somehow with each other."[66] While filming in London, Ruffalo said that Whedon still had not given him any of the Hulk's lines.[67] Whedon later explained that he writes the Hulk's dialogue spontaneously, saying, "What makes the Hulk so hard to write is that you're pretending he's a werewolf when he's a superhero. You want it vice versa... So the question is, how has he progressed? How can we bring changes on what the Hulk does? And that's not just in the screenplay, that's moment to moment."[58] When the character next appears in Thor: Ragnarok, two years have passed since Age of Ultron, and Hulk has become a successful and popular gladiator on Sakaar,[68][69] having suppressed the Banner side in those years. He is forming the vocabulary "of a toddler",[70] with the level of Hulk's speech being "a big conversation" between director Taika Waititi and Marvel since it was taking into account future appearances for the character:[71] Ragnarok begins an arc for the character that continues in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[72] Ruffalo felt Hulk had "a swagger" in the film, and was "much more of a character than the green rage machine" seen in the first two Avengers films.[68]

The Hulk only appears briefly at the beginning of Infinity War, with Bruce Banner spending the film trying to reintegrate with the Avengers, and to "impress upon everybody how dangerous Thanos is".[73] Joe Russo felt the Hulk refusing to appear for much of the film was only partially because he was scared, but also because he realizes that "Banner only wants Hulk for fighting. I think he's had enough of saving Banner's ass." Russo added that this was "really reflective of the journey from Ragnarok... [where] these two characters are constantly in conflict with each other over control."[74] The difference between Hulk and Banner is intended to be shown as "starting to blur a little bit". Ruffalo described Hulk in Infinity War as having the mental capacity of a five-year-old.[73] Despite the lack of further standalone films, "Bruce and the Hulk have managed to eke out a character arc in the six years since The Avengers", with Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War highlighting an ongoing battle for control of which persona will manifest, expected to be resolved in Avengers: Endgame.[27] In Avengers: Endgame, the Bruce Banner and the Hulk personalities are shown to have reconciled and merged into Professor Hulk, who has the strength of the Hulk but the intelligence of Bruce Banner.[75][40]

Appearance and special effects

In filming The Incredible Hulk, Leterrier cited

face paint applied to the actors' faces and strobe lighting would help record the most subtle mannerisms into the computer.[78] Others including Cyril Raffaelli provided motion capture for stunts and fights,[79] after the main actors had done video referencing.[80] Leterrier hired Rhythm and Hues to provide the CGI, rather than Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) who created the visual effects for Ang Lee's Hulk. Visual effect company, Image Engine, spent over a year working on a shot where Banner's gamma-irradiated blood falls through three factory floors into a bottle.[81] Overall 700 effects shots were created. Motion capture aided in placing and timing of movements, but overall key frame animation by Rhythm and Hues provided the necessary "finesse [and] superhero quality".[82]

bodybuilder. A height of nine feet was chosen for the character as they did not want him to be too inhuman. To make him more expressive, computer programs controlling the inflation of his muscles and saturation of skin color were created. Williams cited flushing as an example of humans' skin color being influenced by their emotions.[77] The animators felt green blood would make his skin become darker rather than lighter, and his skin tones, depending on lighting, either resemble an olive or even gray slate.[78] His animation model was completed without the effects company's full knowledge of what he would be required to do: he was rigged to do whatever they imagined, in case the model was to be used for The Avengers film.[82] The Hulk's medium-length hair was modeled on Mike Deodato's art.[82] He originally had a crew cut, but Leterrier decided flopping hair imbued him with more character.[80] Leterrier cited An American Werewolf in London as the inspiration for Banner's transformation, wanting to show how painful it was for him to change.[83] As a nod to the live action TV series, Banner's eyes change color first when he transforms.[84]

The Avengers was the first production in which the actor playing Banner also plays the Hulk. Ruffalo told New York magazine, "I'm really excited. No one's ever played the Hulk exactly; they've always done CGI. They're going to do the Avatar stop-action, stop-motion capture. So I'll actually play the Hulk. That'll be fun".[85] The 3D model used to create the Hulk's body was modeled after Long Island bodybuilder and male stripper Steve Romm, while the Hulk's face was modeled after Ruffalo.[citation needed] To create the on-screen Hulk, Ruffalo performed in a motion-capture suit on set with the other actors while four motion-capture HD cameras (two full body, two focused on his face) captured his face and body movements.[50] ILM returned to create the digital Hulk. Jeff White, ILM's visual effects supervisor, said, "We really wanted to utilize everything we've developed the last 10 years and make it a pretty spectacular Hulk. One of the great design decisions was to incorporate Mark Ruffalo into the look of him. So, much of Hulk is based on Ruffalo and his performance, not only in motion capture and on set, but down to his eyes, his teeth, and his tongue."[86]

For Thor: Ragnarok, ILM had to add much more detail to the character's facial features, due to the Hulk's increased dialogue. ILM visual effects supervisor Chad Wiebe explained that Ruffalo's expressions were captured fresh for the film using Medusa, a performance capture technology. With 90 different expressions captured, ILM "built an entirely new library that would allow [Hulk] to cover a full range of normal human visual characteristics."[87] To help create the Hulk, a person on set was covered in green body paint, and would replicate the intended motions of the character to aid the visual effect artists.[88] Additionally, stunt actor Paul Lowe, who is under 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, stood in for Hemsworth during some of his interactions with the Hulk so that the Hulk's stunt men would be proportionally correct. In some instances when Thor and the Hulk interacted, a digital double was used for Thor, also created by ILM, to have greater flexibility for the shots. ILM worked on all of the Hulk moments in the film outside the final fight sequence, which was completed by Framestore using ILM's assets, as Framestore was primarily responsible for rigging that sequence. Framestore completed nearly 460 shots, which featured digital doubles of Thor and Hela, Fenris, Korg, Miek, the giant Surtur at the end of the film, and over 9,000 buildings for Asgard, based on assets D Negative had from The Dark World, resulting in over 263 character, vehicle, prop, and crowd rigs.[87] Taika Waititi also provided additional motion capture for the Hulk after Ruffalo had completed his scenes.[89]

With respect to Bruce Banner's regular appearance, his fashion sense has been critiqued with the observation that "in just about every appearance, he's wearing a nondescript suit with a purple button down shirt".[90] By contrast, Banner's "Professor Hulk" appearance in Avengers: Endgame, including his penchant for knit sweaters, has been described as "hot" and "sexy".[91]

Reception

Norton's performance as Banner received a generally positive reception. Reviewing The Incredible Hulk, Mark Rahner of The Seattle Times wrote that, "The relaunch of Marvel's green goliath is an improvement over director Ang Lee's ponderous 2003 Hulk in nearly every way—except that the actual Hulk still looks scarcely better than something from a video game, and he still barely talks".[92] Conversely, Christy Lemire of the Associated Press found that "the inevitable comparisons to Iron Man, Marvel Studios' first blockbuster this summer, serve as a glaring reminder of what this Hulk lacks: wit and heart. Despite the presence of Edward Norton, an actor capable of going just as deep as Robert Downey Jr., we don't feel a strong sense of Bruce Banner's inner conflict".[93]

Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk in The Avengers was well received by commentators. Joe Neumaier opined that his performance was superior to the rest of the cast; "Ruffalo is the revelation, turning Banner into a wry reservoir of calm ready to become a volcano."[94] Similarly, The New Yorker's Anthony Lane proclaimed Ruffalo's acting to be one of the film's highlights—alongside Downey.[95] The Village Voice's Karina Longworth concluded: "Ruffalo successfully refreshes the Hulk myth, playing Banner as an adorably bashful nerd-genius who, in contrast to the preening hunks on the team, knows better than to draw attention to himself."[96] Travers asserted that the actor resonated a "scruffy warmth and humor" vibe,[97] while Turan felt that he surpassed predecessors Edward Norton and Eric Bana in playing the character.[98] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the smartest thing the filmmakers did was to get Mark Ruffalo to play Bruce Banner as a man so sensitive that he's at war, every moment, with himself. (The film finally solves the Hulk problem: He's a lot more fun in small doses)".[99]

Accolades

Year Film Actor Award Category Result Ref(s)
2008 The Incredible Hulk Edward Norton National Movie Awards Best Performance – Male Nominated [100]
Scream Awards Best Fantasy Actor Nominated [101]
Best Superhero Nominated
2012 The Avengers Mark Ruffalo Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Hissy Fit Nominated [102]
2013 Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture Won

[103]

MTV Movie Awards Best On-Screen Duo (with Robert Downey Jr.) Won [104]
Best Fight (with cast) Won
Best Hero Won
2016 Avengers: Age of Ultron 43rd Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Won [105]
MTV Movie Awards Best Fight (with Robert Downey Jr.) Nominated [106]
2018 Thor: Ragnarok MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Fight (with Chris Hemsworth) Won [107]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Won [108]
Avengers: Infinity War Teen Choice Awards Choice Hissy Fit Nominated [108]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As depicted in The Incredible Hulk.
  2. ^ As depicted in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
  3. ^ a b As depicted in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – "Whose Show Is This?" (2022).
  4. ^ According to Leterrier, the film takes place about five years after Banner's first transformation. The events of the film also simultaneously take place with the events of Iron Man 2 (2010) and Thor (2011), set six months after the events of Iron Man (2008).
  5. ^ As depicted in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame.

References

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  2. ^ "Why Is Bruce Banner No Longer Hulk In Shang-Chi (Endgame Retcon)?". Screen Rant. September 11, 2021. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  3. .
  4. ^ Cooper, Quentin (May 11, 2012). "Hulk makes a monster out of gamma rays". BBC. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  5. .
  6. .
  7. ^ Hill, Dave (July 17, 2003). "Green with anger". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013.
  8. Fictioneer Books
    . p. 15.
  9. ^ Murray, Will (July 2003). "The Historic Hulk". Starlog (312): 73.
  10. ^ "Hulk (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  11. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (February 23, 2006). "Marvel stock soars on rev outlook". Variety. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  12. ^ Russo, Tom (April 25, 2012). "Super Group". Boston.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
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