Which MCU Hulk do you prefer? Edward Norton or Mark Ruffalo?

[PrimiOne]

Not a big fan of any of them.

In a cinematic universe where casting has been exceptional both are ...average at best. Maybe that's the problem: maybe RDJ is SO Tony Stark ( to the point that the character in comics has become RDJ) and Hemsworth is so Thor,etc. that makes Ruffalo/Norton just "meh!"( even to this day: Pugh, Harbour and Weisz are A+). They both a lack an essential tragic element that yeah, try, but not achieve.Among all the characters created by Lee/Kirby this is the one that best represent the Frankenstein Syndrome ( our fear about how the technology can change us) and is difficult to see this is the MCU.

The character itself does not help either. The fundamental concept of Hulk is understanding this is no schizophrenia, this is not a malfunction of Banner psique. The Gamma accident created a different persona that now has to share a physical identity (not body) with Banner.

This is the premise writters have used for the last 20 years because they understood it is the only Hulk that works and the MCU did not fully adapt to this because we have "Hulk Smash!!" in Avengers transitioning into a separate persona in "Ragnarok" tansitioning into "Banner is in charge" in End Game.

The stupid Hulk is another aspect that got erased for the last 2 decades because it just did not work. Hulk was born in the accident so for the first years you can see him in a child state: learning and understanding his enviroment that is usually very hostile ( thank you Gen. Ross!!). Over the course of the years the character evolved and got into a mature state where the "Leave Hulk Alone!!" is no more a thing. The stupid Hulk just does not work anymore, everybody understood this ( but the MCU) because although he is not about solving diferential equations (that's for Maestro and Proff. Hulk) he shows a high tactical intelligence ( many...many...storyarcs where he wins by using the right tactic not just Smash!!). The best comparision would be Conan: is Conan stupid? No, not really. He probably knows shit about maths but he is extremely smart about his craft: fighting.

Does anyone not love Planet Hulk/World War Hulk? Anyone? Because I have yet to meet a single person who don't. This is the right Hulk.

So it's a combination of factors that gets piled on top of each other:

1. Not setting a clear distinction about Banner/Hulk persona.
2. Getting back to the primitive stupid Hulk we haven't seen for decades.
3. Some weird course correction in the story like the Natasha affair that got solved in a head nod "Hey!", "hey!" in Infinite War ( that was...fucking weird)
4. A narrative that usually uses him as a mechanism for other characters shine ( the fight in the Helicarrier vs Thor, the fight against the Hulkbuster...)

...and the most incomprehensible of all ( i'm still scratching my head in confussion): not-a-single moment of "Ohhh Fuck,fuck,fuck....Hulk is REALLY angry now...big mistake. Now hulk is gonna smash". The closest ( and is nowhere near that) is the Hulkbuster breaking a tooth and I don't say the "That's my secret Captain. I'm always angry" moment is not cool ,no, it's really cool but does not capture the idea of a emotional breakdown that triggers the Hulk real strength. Instead of using Nat's death to do that...he throws a bank to a lake...../Iwantocryjpg. There's narrative tools in the comics that just can't be translated into a film...and this is not one of them: a Hulk outburst could be a fantastic cinematographic moment and they just choose to not use it.


So what can I say? I don't know if Marvel Studios always saw him as a secondary character ( in almost 6 hours of Inifity Saga he is in....the first 5 minutes) and I don't know the extent of how the licensing affected but we have a not great casting ( not awful either) dumped into a character that most of the times looks accesory to the story.

It was fucking difficult for Norton/Ruffalo to shine in this context.

[Shadowferal]

[Aleksej89]

ruffalo is very charming
i have not seen the other one

[ProphetFlume]

I wanted to like Norton's Banner and Hulk, but the second I saw Ruffalo's I was, like: pointingrickdalton.jpg

I'll second Professor Hulk not 100% working for me. Can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it was his reluctance to smash, or me really enjoying Ragnarok Hulk and being sad he was gone?

Pretty much my feeling. I’m not really a hulk fan overall but the hulk resolution didn’t feel like a resolution at all, it’s just banner in hulks body. Plus being denied any kind of redemption for being beaten so hard by thanos he was afraid to come out.

I don’t think anyone has done banners intelligence right - even the comics forget how much of a genius he is. He and Pym get treated like C level bitches in that department.

[DingDongKing]

Mark Ruffalo. Sure, Hulk became a form of comic relief in a lot of situations, but it worked for the story they're telling.

[ProphetFlume]

Completely agree. I don’t keep up on rumors and behind the scenes stuff much, but it felt like we were getting a huge build up to the hulk as we approached endgame, and we got a character that was barely there in the final battle. I’m not sure if it was a subvert expectations thing, or just Whedon-era plot threads that didn’t pan out.

Feige has talked about how the arc came about. He asked Ruffalo where he wanted the character to go and this is what he wanted. It was supposed to be a 3 act arc from ragnarok to infinity war to endgame. We also know wandavision came about because feige talked with Olsen concerning where she wanted her character to go, and hemsworth famously kept thor fat through endgame despite it being planned for just a couple scenes - so the actors do have a say, at least the tenured actors.

[MrLachyG]

Feige has talked about how the arc came about. He asked Ruffalo where he wanted the character to go and this is what he wanted. It was supposed to be a 3 act arc from ragnarok to infinity war to endgame. We also know wandavision came about because feige talked with Olsen concerning where she wanted her character to go, and hemsworth famously kept thor fat through endgame despite it being planned for just a couple scenes - so the actors do have a say, at least the tenured actors.

I liked Fat Thor. Gives blokes like me a chance to cosplay as him lol.

[Kithelle]

I liked Norton's Hulk, but both of them are fine...Bana's Hulk almost put me to sleep

[Kokolums]

Edward Norton is one of the best actors alive. Its a lot easier to like Ruffalo's portrayal when we never got to see RDJ and Norton or Cumberbatch and Norton in the same scene. I wish they could have worked things out. We got robbed there.

[Daedius]

This one is best Hulk;

[Shadowferal]

Mark Ruffalo. Sure, Hulk became a form of comic relief in a lot of situations, but it worked for the story they're telling.

And that's a shame.
In the comics there were plenty of times he came across as an almost tragic figure; seeing a situation through more simple, but open eyes cutting away the bullshit demanding the answer to the question; "Why did it take a monster to remind you of your humanity?"

first panel...and...second panel

[StillMcfuu]

Eric Bana, not kidding. I like that movie the best, that version of the Hulk acts the most "hulk". Just this unstoppable force, actually gets larger when he gets angrier... but just watching hulk running and jumping at a 200 mph while fighting helicopters and tanks, yeah definitely the best iteration. Just the movie isn't great.

Between Norton and Ruffalo, Ruffalo is the easy choice, Norton wasn't good. Nothing wrong with his acting, but it was too much crying and not enough smashing.

[Shadowferal]

Something visceral about the big guy trashing tanks...and tossing the one. Yeah...

[MrLachyG]

definitely Ruffalo. Norton was good but yeah after seeing Ruffalo in Avengers and subsequent films he is definitely the better choice

[DingDongKing]

And that's a shame.
In the comics there were plenty of times he came across as an almost tragic figure; seeing a situation through more simple, but open eyes cutting away the bullshit demanding the answer to the question; "Why did it take a monster to remind you of your humanity?"

first panel...and...second panel

So for me it's quite simple; I'm not expecting them to do a like for like of what the comics do, purely because they're free to do a new take.

Would I like a more tragic representation of the Hulk, where the psychology of the 'monster' is at the forefront? Sure. But I'm okay with this too.

[formerShandalay]

I like Ruffalo's Hulk, but I'm not a huge fan of Professor Hulk. If you don't have the two personalities fighting, what's the point of the character? You can have 'big, strong and intelligent' with every other means too (like Tony Stark in the Hulkbuster armor for example). To me without at least some of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on, Hulk is just a little boring.

[Ihavewaffles]

Something visceral about the big guy trashing tanks...and tossing the one. Yeah...

If they fire their gun, they can slow down their descent!

[Shadowferal]

If they fire their gun, they can slow down their descent!

I don't think they were in any shape to do anything. And the barrel was likely crushed.

[Ivanstone]

I like Ruffalo's Hulk, but I'm not a huge fan of Professor Hulk. If you don't have the two personalities fighting, what's the point of the character? You can have 'big, strong and intelligent' with every other means too (like Tony Stark in the Hulkbuster armor for example). To me without at least some of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on, Hulk is just a little boring.

Because every time “smart” hulk comes along it’s only matter of time until the monster re-asserts itself.

Or he just turns into the the Maestro and kills everyone. Which is arguably a different kind of monster.

[Grimbold21]

I mean, for a character that's physically overwhelming and aggressive, the cartoonish treatment it got in Marvel movies seems to undermine. I got the feeling that he was just a goof