How Hulk became Hulk—Every screen version of his origin, ranked

MCU’s Hulk is one of the most popular Marvel superheroes and an integral part of the Avengers, along with the likes of Iron Man and Captain America. As per comics, Hulk or Dr. Banner got his powers after being exposed to gamma rays while saving Rick Jones.

The super-strong, hulking brute and green-skinned superhero has appeared in many movies and TV shows with slightly varying origin stories. To flesh out unique narratives and character arcs, these shows and movies took creative liberties and changed or added elements to the storyline, which tweaked and made these stories further interesting.

Here’s a list of every Hulk origin story that has appeared in movies and shows so far.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

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Every screen version of Hulk’s origin story, ranked

7) Hulk (2003)

Ang Lee’s version of Hulk’s origin story was different from the actual story as it was introduced as Bruce inheriting his father, David’s, mutant DNA after he experimented with the gamma rays. The narrative further incorporates the themes of father issues and also changes the scientific version of the story.

The other versions of his origins were based on Bruce putting himself forward to save someone else, but Ang Lee introduced a more complicated story for the superhero. While many loved the added complex themes to their favorite superhero’s origin story, many still were skeptical of its changing one of the main aspects of the green-skinned hero’s origin.

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6) Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (Season 2, Episode 7)

The campy and silly animated show, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., is mainly made for children, and hence doesn’t delve much deeper into Hulk’s origin story. We are told the story by A-bomb/ Rick Jones, who narrates the story while funny sketches are shown on the screen, about how Banner saved his life.

The narrative is sometimes silly and funny, but still delivers on the storylines of Marvel characters, fit for viewing by children. The use of humor in the story makes the show more entertaining.

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5) The Marvel Super Heroes: The Incredible Hulk (Episode 1)

The 1966 animated series introduced many of the origin stories of the Avengers, such as Captain America and Iron Man, and Thor. The origin story shown in the animated story was one of the faithful adaptations of the original Hulk comics published in 1962.

From meeting Rick Jones for the first time, saving his life, and then becoming an incredible superhero, the series covered all the aspects shared in the comics.

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4) The Incredible Hulk (1978)

Another origin story where not Bruce but David Banner becomes the Hulk after experimenting on himself. In the CBS sci-fi series, the origin of the Marvel superhero was depicted in a two-hour pilot TV movie of the series.

In the series, Bill Bixby’s David Banner conducts an unsupervised experiment on himself, and after accidentally overdosing himself with gamma radiation, he becomes the huge green-skinned creature. While still dealing with his wife's death, David later lives a life hiding from everyone to learn to control his powers after being charged with the murder of Mark Roberts. While the show might have changed many of the aspects of the origin story, it was still one of the most gripping narratives concerning the superhero.

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3) The Incredible Hulk (1982, Episode 3)

In this animated series on the character of The Hulk, episode 3 titled, Origin of the Hulk, retells the origin story by replacing the Russian spies with aliens trying to know more about the gamma bombs created by Bruce Banner.

In this episode, as Banner and Carlson get ready to test the bomb in the Gamma Base, Banner notices the teenage Rick Jones driving in his Jeep. Banner asks Carlson to stop the countdown until he helps Jones with his broken-down jeep, but Carlson goes on with the counting, and the bomb explodes while Jones and Banner are still there, exposing Banner to the radiation while saving Jones, resulting in him becoming the Incredible Hulk.

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2) The Incredible Hulk (1996) (Season 1, Episode 1)

This 1996 animated series begins with Bruce attempting to cure himself from becoming the Hulk again, while Thaddeus Ross, Betty’s father, and the Leader want to capture him for different reasons. In the first episode of the popular series, there's a flashback in the middle of the episode that gives us a glimpse of the unfortunate day when Bruce was exposed to the gamma radiation.

In the flashback, it is shown that the countdown was going on for testing the gamma bomb, and Bruce notices Ross as he stumbles and falls off his bike. Bruce helps Ross and sends him into the secure chamber, but with no time left for him to join in, he closes the chamber as Betty looks on and gets exposed to the radiation as the bomb explodes. While the series retells the story of Bruce Banner, it does change some elements, which only adds to the emotional storytelling, making it more compelling.

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1) The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk is one of the most recent live-action Hulk origin stories. Starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, who works on the gamma radiation experiment after Thaddeus Ross, Betty’s father, shares it with him. However, after the experiment fails, Banner is exposed to the radiation and transforms into the creature and destroying the lab and Ross and Betty.

He lives a hidden life while trying to find a cure and stay out of trouble so that he doesn’t get angry and transform again until Ross finds him. While Ruffalo is regarded as the OG Banner in the MCU films, Norton also did an incredible job in portraying the struggles of a newly formed Hulk, who tries to control his anger and wants to just get back to his normal self.

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