fourth-highest-grossing MCU movie. This isn't that surprising, given the combined star power of its main characters: Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.
Frustratingly, however, while the latter three would go on to star in standalone sequels, Hulk remains an outlier. Instead, the MCU's Hulk and the details of his powers difficult as he shares screen time with other main players in the MCU. The Avengers exemplified this issue with two of the Hulk's scenes contradicting each other and remaining unexplained to this day.
Hulk's Catchphrase In The Avengers Was One Of His Coolest Moments
"That's My Secret, Cap...I'm Always Angry."
The Avengers arguably showed Hulk at his best, establishing himself as one of the most valuable of the team as he effortlessly tore through the invading Chitauri's most devastating units: leviathans. This was preceded by one of the Hulk's greatest displays of power.
10 Scenes That Most Define Hulk's MCU Movie Story
Bruce Banner and The Hulk have been on quite a journey throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if they only got a single solo movie.
Aside from a swift punch at Thor a short time later, Hulk proves to be particularly cooperative throughout the Battle of New York. This is where the confusion begins, as just one act prior, the yet-to-assemble Avengers were particularly troubled by the prospect of Bruce Banner's transformation. This stands to reason, as Hulk until that point had proven to be a relatively uncontrollable tour de force that only Betty Ross could subdue - and their concerns, it turns out, were well-founded.
The Avengers Never Explained Hulk's First Rampage
Hulk Immediately Targeted His Allies Aboard The Helicarrier
Bruce Banner's first transformation in The Avengers occurs onboard the SHIELD Helicarrier, moments after Loki's scepter raises tensions among the heroes and an enthralled Hawkeye blows up a section of the airship. The explosion causes Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner to tumble to a lower floor, causing Hulk to finally emerge. Whereas the scepter's influence (and Tony's ill-advised goading) was insufficient in provoking the transformation, Hawkeye's direct assault was not. After transforming, Hulk then rampages through the Helicarrier and specifically targets Natasha Romanoff before Thor steps in to subdue him.
The rivalry between the MCU's Thor and Hulk sparked by this moment emulates the longstanding rivalry the pair have in Marvel Comics.
This is where I get confused. Banner's apparent lack of control over his transformation in this scene is one thing, as it contradicts his later statement during the Battle of New York and The Incredible Hulk. What's even more confusing, however, is the fact that Hulk targets his allies aboard the Helicarrier. This is in contrast to his actions in New York, where he precisely targets enemies and even stands alongside the Avengers in their iconic group shot. This is never fully explained, leaving it up to the audience to infer what makes these transformations so different.
1 Theory Explains Why Hulk Lost Control
Hulk Emerges Out Of Something Other Than Anger
It's possible to explain Hulk's wildly different responses by looking at the surrounding circumstances of each transformation. Taking Bruce's assertion that he's always angry before smoothly transforming into the Hulk at face value, something must be different for the more unwitting transformation aboard the Helicarrier. Namely, I think this is because Bruce isn't angry during the Helicarrier assault (as was proven by resisting the scepter and Tony's provocations), but fearful for his life. Retorting with "Your life?!" to Natasha after she swears on it helps demonstrate this.
The confusion caused by the explosion puts Banner and Hulk in a vulnerable position, leading the latter to lash out at everyone in his immediate vicinity as a classic coping mechanism: smash until the problem has subsided.
His ensuing rampage could therefore be a self-defense mechanism. The confusion caused by the explosion puts Banner and Hulk in a vulnerable position, leading the latter to lash out at everyone in his immediate vicinity as a classic coping mechanism: smash until the problem has subsided. I think this actually lends itself to the depth of Hulk's character, though I maintain that it's a shame that it falls to subtle moments such as these in much larger movies like The Avengers to flesh out Hulk.
The Avengers
- Release Date
- May 4, 2012
- Runtime
- 143 minutes
- Director
- Joss Whedon
Cast
Steve Rogers / Captain America
Tony Stark / Iron Man
WHERE TO WATCH
The sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers is an action superhero film that sees the heroes assembled across the franchise face off with a deadly galactic threat. With the arrival of Thor's brother, Loki, heroes such as Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man, and Black Widow are brought together to stop him from unleashing an alien race upon earth.
- Studio(s)
- Marvel
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