The MCU version of the Hulk was inferior to Ang Lee‘s Hulk when it comes to sheer strength. We won’t debate you on the fact that Lee’s film had faults with its storyline, CGI, and execution. However, Eric Bana portrayed the strongest Hulk, and he was easily the angriest version when compared to Edward Norton and his successor, Mark Ruffalo.
This could be attributed to the fact that Lee showed his Hulk fresh from the effects of gamma rays, while we didn’t get to see the immediate aftermath in the MCU. One of Lee’s ways of portraying the strength of his Hulk was to show him getting bigger as he got angrier.
At his angriest, this version of the Hulk grew as large as a two-story building. In the movie, when he reaches that size, Bana’s Hulk slams the ground in rage, creating a shockwave that causes a massive pile-up of cars. It wasn’t the only moment that hinted at him being stronger than Norton’s Hulk.
When we compare the scenes of the Hulk fighting the military in the 2003 film and the 2008 film, we see a great difference in their show of power. While both managed to create massive destruction of property, Bana’s Hulk proved to be the more formidable force.
In terms of speed, he had a great advantage over the air-borne helicopters firing at him. At one point, he caught a missile by his hand, bit off the payload, and spat it at an oncoming helicopter, causing a major blast. In comparison, Norton’s Hulk appeared much slower when facing the flying bullets from the military vehicles, almost making it seem for a moment that he might actually succumb to the military’s attack.
In one of the climactic fights, Bana’s Hulk fought off three Hulk-sized dogs. He even broke the jaw of one of the dogs when it bit into his shoulder, just by growing his muscles bigger. When he fought off the Absorbing Man in this film, he allowed the villain to take in all of his gamma powers. However, it proved too much energy for the villain to handle.
While Norton and Ruffalo’s Hulks have fought other villains in far more dangerous situations, none of them came close to showcasing this level of raw power in their respective movies. So, Lee and Bana should get the credit for the strongest Hulk.
Ang Lee Won’t Make Another Hulk Movie
Despite its above-mentioned merits, Ang Lee’s Hulk movie was blasted by critics. It was the only time that Lee tried his hand at the superhero genre (He later went on to direct the Oscar-nominated flick Brokeback Mountain). He was excited about the fact that he got to use the CGI technique in his movie
He shared with DiscussingFilm during an interview that he wanted to do a psychodrama film, with sci-fi and horror elements to it. He shared that the movie did not have previews, and they just worked on a film of over $100 million with the hopes that it would work. He wasn’t happy with the reception of the film. He shared:
I’m glad I did those things, but I was not comfortable when the movie came out and got this mixed reaction. It was confusing for the market. I wasn’t happy about that. But I worked certainly very hard. I was very proud of the filmmakers who made the movie with me.
He has no plans to return to the genre or direct another Hulk film. He shared, “So [Hulk] is like Crouching Tiger, I did it once and that was that.” The film went on to achieve a cult status after years of its release.
Hulk had an estimated production cost of over $137 million. It had a short, successful run at the box office, collecting $245 million worldwide after its release.
Why Mark Ruffalo Can Never Possibly Make a Solo Hulk Movie?
Before the MCU era, Marvel gave away the rights to the Hulk to Universal Studios, who made the 2003 movie. When The Incredible Hulk was made in 2008, Universal struck a deal with Marvel to distribute the movie. Universal also retained the right of first refusal to distribute any future solo Hulk movies.
Initially, this arrangement seemed sensible as Marvel was an independent studio. However, when Disney took over Marvel, they gained the capability to distribute the movies themselves. Under the earlier agreement, Universal had the authority to decide whether it wanted to distribute the Hulk films or pass the rights to Disney.
Since both entities were competitors, neither was willing to help the other make profits. Essentially, Marvel had to find a way around this issue and made Hulk into a supporting character in the MCU. Mark Ruffalo also shared that the budget might be a major issue for a solo Hulk movie to be made. He shared with GQ in 2024:
I’d love to do a standalone Hulk, I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen. It’s very expensive if you did a whole movie, which is why they use the Hulk so sparingly. I priced myself out!
Fans still hope that Marvel will make a World War Hulk movie with Ruffalo in the lead role. Marvel insider, Alex Perez, recently commented that the studio’s plans for World War Hulk/Planet Hulk are “still in development.”
Who do you think did Hulk the best? Was it Eric Bana or Edward Norton or Mark Ruffalo? Let us know in the comments below!
Hulk 2003 is now available for streaming on Netflix.
