Every Live-Action Movie Featuring The Hulk, Ranked By IMDb

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 into a household name, so naturally, several attempts at movies about him were made.

These have mostly been something of a mixed bag but thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Hulk has actually gone on to appear in many team-up movies as well. Not counting uncredited cameos in the post-credits scenes of Iron Man 3, Captain Marvel, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Bruce Banner/Hulk has shown up in seven live-action films over the years.

7 Hulk (2003) – 5.6

Stream On Starz

This was the first real attempt to bring Hulk to the big screen, likely trying to capitalize on the popularity of the movies starring Spider-Man and the X-Men in the years prior. The major issue 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.

That’s a fine idea on its own but audiences at the time wanted more big action. They were dying to see Hulk smash things and this movie was more about Hulk being emotional. Hulk 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 though the special effects certainly don’t hold up.

6 The Incredible Hulk (2008) – 6.6

Rent On Apple TV

It is often forgotten about when discussing the MCU but The Incredible Hulk was actually the second film in the franchise. Since it was distributed by a different studio and it stars Edward Norton, who left the MCU afterward, many fans don’t even sit through it when rewatching the entire MCU. That being said, it’s a pretty good film.

Instead of telling the origin story, the plot picks up years later as Bruce has moved to Brazil and attempted to seclude 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.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

5 Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) – 7.3

Stream On Disney+

Although these Avengers movies are a team effort, the Hulk has always played a pivotal part 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 remain as calm as possible and he develops a romance with Natasha Romanoff that received a mixed response at best.

A highlight of this movie saw Hulk get influenced by Wanda Maximoff and wreak havoc on South Africa until he battles Tony Stark in his Hulkbuster armor. It was the kind of epic big fight that audiences wanted from Hulk on the big screen for years. Hulk helped defeat Ultron and his army before leaving on the Quinjet and not showing up again for several movies.

4 Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – 7.9

Stream On Disney+

The big return for the Hulk came in Thor: Ragnarok, marking the character’s first major appearance in a non-Avengers or non-Hulk film. His Quinjet adventure led him to the planet Sakaar where he spent two years taking part in gladiator fights and being revered as the planet’s most impressive champion.

While there was fun to be had and his fight against Thor is arguably the best Hulk has ever had, this was an important movie for the character. Banner was in Hulk form for two whole years, which had never happened before. It set in motion a chain of events regarding the relationship between the man and the monster.

3 The Avengers (2012) – 8.0

Stream On Disney+

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 being brought in alongside various superheroes but only for his brain and not for the brawn. Of course, that doesn’t go all that well and he ends up turning into the Hulk for two explosive scenes.

During the Battle of New York, Hulk is arguably the show stealer as he gets to smash and destroy everything in his path. This film also shed some light on how difficult things are for Bruce Banner, as he admitted to trying to kill himself at one point only for the Hulk to spit the bullet back up. In the eyes of many fans, this was the best on-screen depiction of Hulk and it only got better.

2 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 8.4

Stream On Disney+

The Hulk is only briefly in Avengers: Infinity War but his scene is impactful. He fights Thanos and is beaten pretty handily, which goes a long way toward showcasing just how powerful the villain is. For the remainder of the film, the Hulk refused to come out, leaving Bruce Banner to fend for himself.

That’s an important story aspect because it’s the first time the audience understands just how much damage Thanos did to him. It’s interesting to see Banner have to step up for himself, including getting in the Hulkbuster armor and being the one to kill Cull Obsidian during the battle of Wakanda.

1 Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 8.4

Stream On Disney+

In a lot of ways, Hulk is more important than ever in Avenger: Endgame. During the five years after Thanos’s snap, Banner found a way to merge the muscle with the brains, resulting in him keeping control of his genius intellect while in Hulk form. It was the best of both worlds and saw Banner gain new levels of confidence.

He also was a huge part of the Time Heist thanks to an interaction with The Ancient One. To top it off, it was Hulk who snapped his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet and brought back everyone who was dusted out of existence, giving him the ultimate heroic moment. Not only was it the highest-rated movie featuring the Hulk but it was likely also the best film for the character in general.

NextMCU: 10 Actors Who Should Play Hercules, According To Reddit

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *