Right at the start of the MCU, especially with the release of The Incredible Hulk, fans realized the sheer devastating prowess that The Hulk was capable of and to control whom Bruce Banner was incapable of. Later in The Avengers, though, Mark Ruffalo reveals that his character was always angry, which shows how dangerous the superhero could be if he weren’t in control.
But with the release of Avengers: Endgame, we were again introduced to The Hulk, only this time, the version in front of us was Smart Hulk, the hybrid of the Rage Monster’s appearance, but the wits and intellect of Banner.
This was a controversial decision that most fans were against and for the right reasons, especially considering how terrifying he was in the past after looking at one of the snippets from the second Avengers film.
Fans Dislike Smart Hulk More After Watching Mark Ruffalo’s Intense Avengers: Age Of Ultron Scene
The first time The Hulk made his rampaging appearance in The Avengers, he almost destroyed the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. HeliCarrier within minutes, and it took Thor even to try and subdue him. That was the terror that the green rage machine was capable of inducing. But Bruce Banner was a whole different story, and Mark Ruffalo‘s portrayal of the character never made him look like much of a threat.
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Although, in Avengers: Endgame, we were introduced to the Smart Hulk, who was both Banner and Hulk at the same time. This obviously created controversy surrounding the decision and made people mostly dislike the character. This dislike has only grown more intense, especially after they remember what even Banner was capable of in this clip from Avengers: Age of Ultron.
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Considered to be one of the most cold-hearted moments in Banner’s MCU history, while coming face to face with Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in the film, Banner is internally raging after her hexing his mind in Johannesburg, which makes the other guy go on a catastrophic rampage all over the city until Iron Man subdues him with the Hulkbuster suit.
Thus, when Captain America tries to mitigate the situation, Banner says that he is way beyond civil conversations with her, and is so furious that he could choke the life out of her without even turning into The Hulk. This was the line that hit fans the hardest, making them remember just how fearful the superhero once was.
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How Did Fans React To This?
Naturally, in comparison with The Hulk from the past, the green monster lacks the monster part in the present, something which made him so iconic and likable. Thus, fans have a lot of good memories of Banner and his alter-ego that have led to many reminiscing about them in the comment section.
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“Back in the day where Bruce/Hulk wasn’t a joke.”
“Back when Bruce was legit the most terrifying man in the room.”
“I miss this version of Bruce/Hulk SO MUCH”
“Literally one of the strongest beings on earth and they made him into a comic relief.”
“The only thing the Russo brothers destroyed in marvel”
While he may be the way he is today, we always have to remember the fact that this might change, especially after rumors of World War Hulk being introduced in the future.
Avengers: Age of Ultron, streaming on Disney+.
