One of the most popular Marvel characters of all time and a part of the roster of the original six Avengers that started the MCU, Bruce Banner/Hulk used to be an integral part of the franchise that changed cinematic history. However, for anyone playing close attention, it is gradually becoming clear that the Hulk has changed. In most cases, change is supposed to be good as characters progress thematically and narratively, but the problem here is that Marvel arguably has changed Hulk for the worse, so why is the MCU Hulk not working anymore?
One of the greatest scientific minds in the franchise, Bruce Banner, is characterized by his inability to control the raging green monster inside him that frequently overwhelms his senses and wreaks complete destruction on the world around him. A gamma radiation experiment gone wrong afflicted Banner with this particular condition, and whenever Banner finds himself in stressful situations, the monster bursts out to wreak havoc. The monster’s power is nearly unmatched, and as the monster, Banner has fought some of the greatest beings in the Marvel universe, from Thor to Thanos.
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Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk film notwithstanding, let's take a peek into the history of the raging green monster in the MCU. Marvel knew that Hulk was extremely popular with general audiences ever since debuting in the comics in 1962. Thus, The Incredible Hulk (2008) was greenlit as the second MCU film in the shadows of the first Iron Man. Here is where it gets interesting; what many people do not know is that this was a joint collaboration between Marvel and Universal, as Universal continues to hold the rights to distribute any Hulk film.
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Edward Norton played the titular character and brought much-needed vulnerability and gravitas to the character. However, an esteemed actor such as Norton would never have worked in a sprawling franchise, and thus, difficulties with Marvel meant Mark Ruffalo was cast soon after.
Let’s be clear about this: Ruffalo is not as intense as Norton when it comes to the Hulk. There is a subdued energy to Ruffalo, one that makes his Hulk quite distinct from Norton's. Recasting the character has clearly not worked here, and the fact that there has not been a proper sequel to The Incredible Hulk has only hurt the character further.
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With Marvel unable or unwilling to make a Hulk film without involving Universal, the only logical way forward was for Hulk to appear in other Marvel films. And he did, everywhere, from Iron Man 3 to Thor Ragnarok and from Shang Chi to all the Avengers films. In addition, it has been confirmed that Banner will also appear as Spider-Man’s mentor in the upcoming Spider-Man 4 (why is this happening and who asked for this remains unclear).
Why Is The MCU Hulk Not Working Anymore?
Things were quite okay in the first two Avengers films. The Hulk’s carnage aboard the Helicarrier and the urban battle in South Africa were quite close to the original spirit of the character. From the unstoppable raging green monster in the first two Avengers flicks, Marvel gradually began to transform him into a nerfed-down scientist without any of his explosive personality.
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Arguably, the worst culprit here was Avengers: Endgame, where Ruffalo played ‘Smart Hulk’, a happy, peppy green monster taking selfies with kids in diners. It would soon become clear that the character’s previous outings in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War were building up to this ‘pivotal’ moment. From being a rage machine even the Avengers couldn't stop to a big green spectacled dude eating pancakes in a diner, we had come to the moment we had always dreaded.
The Hulk situation has shocking similarities to another famous recast in the MCU: the War Machine redux. Originally played by Terrence Howard in the first Iron Man, War Machine was famously the first major character to be recast in the then still-developing MCU.
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Don Cheadle was brought on board and has since played the character in at least seven MCU properties. But Terrence was able to capture something special with the character, a thing Cheadle is unable or unwilling to do. Recent Cheadle outings of the characters have been barely ok, with Cheadle phoning in his performance increasingly.
Why Is The MCU Hulk Not Working Anymore?
It is thus sadly clear that the Hulk is no longer a priority for Marvel anymore, which has intentionally, over the last decade, taken steps to diminish the character entirely. What is worse is that Marvel seems to be aware that audiences are souring on the character and yet has taken no clear steps to make amends.
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A particular reason is the direction Marvel has decided to take the character in, and Ruffalo, with his phoned-in performances, is equally to blame as well. Caution should be heeded from the case of Captain Marvel, who went from a billion-dollar origin film to the first proper box office bomb in her sequel.
The recent She-Hulk show (which Ruffalo was a big part of) continues the problems plaguing the character. The show not only made the Hulk even more of a joke but also nerfed his 2008 villain, Abomination, considerably. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner playing another of Peter Parker’s mentors in the upcoming fourth Spider-Man film will be more of the same, and the Hulk is sure to be a part of the two upcoming Avengers flicks as well. We only hope Marvel can recapture some of the original Hulk glory in the next two Avengers films.
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From an unstoppable monster of unparalleled destruction to a harmless guy in glasses, the regression of Hulk in the MCU needs to be studied. Audiences have grown tired of how the character has been nerfed, and arguably, there is a big push amongst fans for Hulk to regain some of his lost glory. What Marvel chooses to do now with the character is anyone’s guess, but as MCU films keep failing and audiences keep checking out, Marvel does not have a lot of time before it is too late.
