With seven films and one Disney+ appearance, Mark Ruffalo’s journey as Bruce Banner ( The Hulk )has spanned every phase of the MCU thus far. Fans who are curious about the best order to watch all of Hulk’s MCU appearances have come to the right place!
Now that all nine episodes of She-Hulk have been completed, and speculation about when Ruffalo will next return to the MCU is rife, it’s time to look back at the Hulk’s journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Every Hulk appearance in the MCU in chronological order
To date, Bruce Banner and/or the Hulk have appeared in thirteen of the MCU’s 39 live-action projects. Mark Ruffalo has played the character in all of them except the MCU’s only solo film for the character, as well as an important supporting role in all four Avengers team-ups.
The following are the eight films and television shows in which Bruce Banner and his green alter-ego play major roles, ranging from The Incredible Hulk to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, as well as his various cameo appearances in the MCU.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The origin story of the Hulk is only told in the opening credits, and Edward Norton’s Bruce Banner spends the majority of the film running from General Ross, the United States Army, and SHIELD. Following an epic final battle in Harlem with Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky/Abomination, Banner is left on his own once more as he attempts to reconcile his two vastly different personalities.
The Avengers (2012)
Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, tracks down Bruce Banner in India to recruit him for the Avengers Initiative, but his time on the helicarrier researching the Tesseract causes him to Hulk out. He then joins Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the Battle of New York against Loki and the Chitauri, even giving fans an iconic MCU moment when he smashes Loki like a ragdoll in Stark Tower.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
In the appropriately titled Age of Ultron, Banner teams up with Tony Stark to create Ultron before the program goes haywire, causing the Hulk to go on a Scarlet Witch-induced rampage in South Africa to stop the AI villain. The Hulk blasts off in the Avengers’ Quinjet to an unknown location after defeating the Hulkbuster armor and reuniting with the Avengers to save the people of Sokovia.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The Hulk built his own empire in Thor: Ragnarok in the two years since leaving Earth, becoming the Grandmaster’s champion as he fought in gladiator matches on Sakaar, leading to a reunion with Thor in the arena. While the God of Thunder assists Banner in resurfacing for the first time since leaving Earth, the Hulk must return to assist Team Thor in defeating Hela before attacking Surtur and evading Asgard’s destruction.
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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
After the Hulk is beaten by Thanos at the start of Infinity War, Heimdall sends him back to Earth, where he and Banner struggle with their relationship. Although Banner accepts that he must continue to use the Hulk, his alter-ego refuses to join the fight against Thanos, leaving them with many unresolved issues while Half of all life in the universe is destroyed by the Mad Titan.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Banner and the Hulk reach an agreement, resulting in the birth of Smart Hulk, who assists Scott Lang and the Avengers in solving the mystery of time travel. After stealing the Infinity Stones in the Time Heist and losing Natasha Romanoff in the process, the big green hero dons the completed gauntlet and snaps his fingers to resurrect everyone before defeating Thanos and saving the universe once more.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
In this film’s post-credits scene, Bruce took his place among the new Avengers roster in a meeting with Captain Marvel, Wong, Shang-Chi, and Katy, though he was back in human form. Fans wonder what his future holds after welcoming Shang-Chi and Katy to the team and analyzing the Ten Rings, especially since he can seemingly transform from Bruce to the Hulk again.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
She-Hulk provided Mark Ruffalo with his closest MCU starring role to date, as he proved to be the cause of Jennifer Walters’ gamma origin before mentoring her through her early days as a Hulk. But that was before he disappeared into space, only to return with his Sakaarian son Skaar – a brand new addition to the MCU storyline and possibly the latest Young Avenger introduction.
When Will The Incredible Hulk Return To The Marvel Cinematic Universe?
For a franchise that hasn’t even owned the full rights to use the Hulk, he’s made his mark on the big and small screens alike over the past 14 years within the MCU – even if that’s in the absence of more than one solo outing.
His next MCU appearance is currently unknown following his cliffhanger return to Earth with Skaar in the She-Hulk finale. Both the Hulk and She-Hulk were rumored to appear in Captain America: New World Order, which seems logical given their respective roles. The Leader from The Incredible Hulk will be the main antagonist, though this appears to have been debunked.
There don’t appear to be many opportunities for Hulk to appear on the currently announced Phase 5 slate, but nobody saw his surprise appearance in Shang-Chi coming, so anything is possible. Of course, plans can change and Ruffalo will appear in Captain America 4, but fans may have to wait a while to see the gamma-green Avenger again.
The actor who plays the Hulk has already stated that “there will not be another Avengers without [She-Hulk],” and one can only imagine that the two wall-smashers will appear as a package deal later. So, unless he tragically dies in The Kang Dynasty, Hulk will almost certainly appear in both The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
After all, as this list has shown, Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner has already spent a full decade in the MCU. That time may be coming to an end, as the hero has already become one of the few to span two sagas; will he be around for a third?
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