After 8 years of development in the Marvel cinematic universe, fans have witnessed the immense journey of Bruce Banner, a character known for his dark, violent side that is incredibly hard to control – The Hulk. The Hulk has also gone through many adventures in the Marvel universe leading up to the next installment featuring him, which is Thor: Ragnarok.
In a recent interview with Collider, actor Mark Ruffalo revealed some insights about the Hulk character, hinting at changes made in Thor: Ragnarok, and how he differs from the Hulk we have seen in previous films:
“No one has ever experienced this feeling. My idea is that he (Bruce Banner – Hulk) always tries to run away from his true self, rejecting who he is, but ultimately, the two sides of him clash, and it will be wonderful to see how they resolve this conflict.”
If you’re a devoted fan who has seen the Avengers films, you might be aware that Hulk in the cinematic version also features dual personalities, as depicted in the comics. In The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner viewed his alter ego (Hulk) as a “monster” and constantly sought a cure for himself, although he could never succeed unless he embraced being Hulk.
When he appeared in The Avengers, we saw a version of Hulk struggling internally between his two personalities (Bruce Banner – Hulk), often unable to communicate effectively during battles, particularly during the fight against Loki. These two personalities had yet to reconcile with one another.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the conflict between the two personalities intensified when Hulk was manipulated by Scarlet Witch. This event made Hulk’s persona aggressive, leading Bruce Banner to decide to distance himself to prevent any harm to those around him. Thus, we see that the dual personalities of Hulk have continuously coexisted since the beginning of the Marvel cinematic universe.
According to Mark Ruffalo’s hints, in Thor: Ragnarok, we will witness a battle between Hulk’s two personalities, where both will ultimately resolve their conflict and coexist in harmony.
As you can see, Hulk in the Marvel cinematic universe is incredibly powerful and arguably the strongest character in the Avengers lineup. However, his main weakness lies in the difficulty of controlling his true self when he transforms into Hulk. If what Mark Ruffalo suggests comes to fruition, we could see a version of Hulk that is even more powerful and effective than before.
The Hulk is set to appear in the blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017.
