A Comprehensive Journey To Watch Hulk Movies in Order – A Breakdown

The Hulk, one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters, has had a tumultuous journey on the silver screen. From his early adaptations to his integral role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the Green Goliath has undergone various transformations both in terms of character development and visual representation.

Portrayed primarily by Mark Ruffalo, Hulk is one of those characters that resemble a coconut, hard and scary from the outside but soft in the core. If you are a fan of the Hulk from the MCU core and have wanted to watch the Hulk movies in order, we have got you!

This article will take a look at all the Hulk movies and even the MCU movies where Hulk has made a cameo appearance for you to binge-watch.

1. Hulk (2003)

When it comes to Hulk’s exposure to the Marvel audience, Hulk is potentially the first attempt made by director Ang Lee to bring this iconic Marvel character into a standalone feature film. This is probably one of the only Hulk movies that doesn’t star Mark Ruffalo as the character.

Instead, the movie stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, who is exposed to an excessive amount of radiation, which makes him turn green whenever he is enraged or in a situation of conflict. Overall, the movie manages to focus on the psychological and emotional aspects of the character. Since it was an initial attempt at exposing the character to the public, it makes sense that most people criticized the movie for its overexposure to CGI in the movie.

2. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

With the first movie receiving a cold reception, the release of The Incredible Hulk somehow managed to turn the tables entirely for the audience. To overcome the conflicts and shortcomings from the first movie, Marvel Studios sought to reimagine the Hulk in a more action-oriented, crowd-pleasing manner.

The movie was directed by Louis Leterrier. It was Edward Norton who starred in the movie as Bruce Banner and while the audience did like his acting and the engagement that he brought on screen, he was soon succeeded by Mark Ruffalo due to ongoing conflicts related to the contracts. Well, Marvel has not looked back since then.

3. The Avengers (2012)

Although not a standalone Hulk movie, the character plays a pivotal role in the storyline of The Avengers. The movie was released in 2012 and is nothing short of a cinematic milestone that deserves all the praise and accolades that it gets. The movie brings along all the strong superheroes from the Marvel universe into a single movie.

This became a breakthrough for Mark Ruffalo portraying the character of Hulk and with Jess Wesdon’s direction, the movie managed to stand out and further bring an additional layer of depth and character to the role. Overall, it was a worthy watch. The Hulk’s smashing entrance during the Battle of New York became an iconic moment, showcasing the character’s raw power and establishing him as an integral part of the MCU.

4. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Hulk makes an equally riveting appearance in the 2017 Thor: Ragnarok movie. Hulk’s involvement in the movie plays a very vital role in shaping the character development of Thor. It is a treat to watch two bulky superheroes being together on screen and showcasing a friendship like no other.

Directed by Taika Waititi, the film explored the gladiatorial planet of Sakaar, where Hulk had become a popular fighter. This installment showcased the lighter, more comedic side of the character, adding layers to his personality beyond sheer rage. If you are used to seeing Hulk being enraged and loud all the time on screen, watching him on screen with Thor will be a completely new experience.

5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

With how well received the Avengers was in 2012, it makes sense that the MCU Studios will revive the experience with a new installment. Mark Ruffalo returned as the Hulk in the movie, further brushing up his skills and his presence on screen. 

The film delved deeper into Bruce Banner’s struggles with the Hulk, introducing the concept of the Scarlet Witch-induced hallucinations and the fear of losing control. This installment set the stage for the internal conflict that would further define the character in subsequent films. If you are completely clueless about the ongoing conflicts that resulted in the congregation of the Avengers, this is the movie that you need to binge-watch.

6. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)

While we are on the topic of the Avengers, the 2018 and 2019 consecutive releases deserve a shoutout as well. Both of these movies will remain an iconic fixture on MCU’s Wall of Fame because they are some of the highest-grossing films of all time. 

Following his defeat by Thanos in the former, the Hulk struggled to re-emerge in “Endgame.” This arc showcased a vulnerable side of the character, emphasizing his humanity and the toll that constant battle takes on him. However, getting to witness the emergence of the Hulk as “Smart Hulk” in Endgame further solidified his place in the franchise. We get to witness a fusion of Bruce Banner’s intellect and the Hulk’s strength, presenting a new and intriguing facet of the character.

7. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

While we are on the topic of movies where Hulk has made a cameo appearance, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a movie that deserves a shoutout. You get to witness Mark Ruffalo doing what he does best and getting to see them in a meeting involving Captain Marvel, Wong, Shang-Chi, and Katy in the post-credits scene is pretty much all the excitement that the fans needed.

The fans were quite curious to know what’s up with the whole situation and how Hulk’s character would evolve in future movies and it is pretty interesting to witness how he meshes with the other characters that are involved in the Ten Rings movie. There were a lot of questions regarding the future of not just the character but the franchise in general.

8. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

To be fair, this one isn’t the best portrayal of The Hulk on screen and we have had better ones in the past. However, since we are talking about all the Hulk movies in order, including guest appearances and cameo, it makes sense that we had to include this one in the list too.

While the movie started as a staple superhero movie, we get to witness Jennifer Walters’ gamma origin who ends up blasting into the Universe and only to later return with his Sakaarian son Skaar. This ended up being the newest addition to the MCU story arc and it will be interesting to see how the writers and directors incorporate this new character down the line in future movies, if any.

Cameos Where Hulk Appeared

1. Iron Man 3 (2013)

If you are confused about why we are including Iron Man in the list of Hulk movies, you are in for a ride. Sometimes, it is nice to get to witness your favorite superhero appear in his human form on screen and that’s exactly what you get to witness in Iron Man 3.

Mark Ruffalo appears as Bruce Banner but in the post-credits scene where he plays the role of a therapist for Tony Stark. With how sneaky Marvel is with their movie linkage, it made sense at the time that they would introduce Mark Ruffalo somehow into the picture. 

2. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Now, like Iron Man, we also get to see a glimpse of the Hulk in the 2016 Captain America: Civil War. It’s not much and probably a second of the character being on screen but it is nevertheless worth mentioning, so that’s exactly what we did.

More than the cameo, the appearance of Hulk in this movie comes up in the archived MCU footage that was released later. It was quite a fun addition and something that none of the fans were expecting to witness in the first place. You can witness Hulk rampaging through the entirety of Manhattan and New York, which ends up leaving the entire city in ruins.

3. Captain Marvel (2019)

We have also seen a good amount of Hulk in Captain Marvel in the 2019 release. However, it doesn’t happen until the end of the movie when the post-credits scene appears. If there’s one thing about the MCU movies that you need to know, it is the fact that you need to wait inside the theatre even if the movie is over.

Some of the most astounding gems are showcased in the post-credits scene. We could witness Banner in the post-credits scene after the end of Captain Marvel. During that period, it was Banner’s job to assess Nick Fury’s pager that he accidentally dropped in New York. Unraveling some of the secrets through the device, we witness Banner’s intellect take a front seat.