Marvel never knew what to do with Hulk — Avengers: Infinity War proves it

Well, it's no secret that Hulk is one of the most iconic superheroes ever created. He’s been around since the 1960s, and his whole deal is simple: big, green, angry, and unstoppable - and of course...smash now, ask questions never.

So when the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off in 2008 and started building its Avengers roster, fans were pumped to see what they’d do with the Hulk. But here’s the thing - they never really figured it out!

He’s definitely had his cool moments - he smashed Loki, punched a space whale, and went toe-to-toe with Iron Man in a Hulkbuster suit. But somehow, over the years, the big guy slowly got sidelined - and by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled around, the cracks really started to show.

Instead of evolving into a key player, he got turned into either a plot device, comic relief, or straight-up benched. Infinity War didn't just highlight the problem...it was the problem. So let’s talk about why Marvel never quite knew what to do with Hulk - and how it finally showed.

How Marvel fumbled Hulk - and Infinity War was the final blow

They changed him without really telling us why

Remember The Avengers (2012)? Hulk was wild, unpredictable, and straight-up terrifying when he first appeared. You didn’t know if he was going to punch an alien ship or one of the Avengers - and that danger made him exciting.

Fast forward to Thor: Ragnarok, and suddenly Hulk’s cracking jokes and acting like a toddler who’s been on a sugar rush. It was funny, no doubt - but it also felt like a massive shift without any real explanation. He went from "raging monster" to "goofy roommate" almost overnight.

And then in Infinity War...boom - he’s gone! One bad fight, and the big green guy just nopes out for the entire movie. No emotional follow-up, no arc - just Banner arguing with his inner Hulk like a frustrated dad begging his toddler to come out of their room.

That’s the problem - Marvel kept changing Hulk’s personality to fit the tone of the movie, rather than building a consistent story for him.

Hulk’s only solo movie got brushed aside

Let’s not forget: the big fellow did get a solo movie - The Incredible Hulk (2008). But because Edward Norton played Bruce Banner instead of Mark Ruffalo, and Marvel kind of pretends that movie doesn’t exist, it never really gets referenced.

No real flashbacks, no connection to the film’s events - not even a nod to the fact that he fought Abomination in Harlem (unless you count that one random line in She-Hulk). Basically, Marvel hit “delete” on his solo story and started fresh, without ever explaining why.

That meant Hulk never got the same buildup or personal development that Iron Man, Cap, or Thor did. He was just there, ready to smash when needed, and shoved into the background when he wasn’t.

He was always treated like a backup plan

It’s pretty obvious that Marvel didn’t trust Hulk to carry a big arc. Whenever he showed up, it was usually because someone needed muscle. No one ever said, “We need Bruce for his intelligence and leadership.” It was always: “Send in the big guy.”

But the worst part was that even when he did show up, he rarely got to finish the job. Whether it was Thor taking the spotlight in Ragnarok or Tony Stark outmaneuvering him in the Hulkbuster suit, Hulk almost always ended up as the warm-up act for someone else’s big moment.

By the time Infinity War came around, they didn’t even bother - Hulk got whooped by Thanos in the first five minutes, disappeared for the rest of the movie, and didn’t even get a rematch. That’s it...that was his whole arc. How could you do that to one of the founding Avengers?

Banner and Hulk’s relationship was never fully explored

One of the most interesting things about the Hulk is that it’s not just a superpower - it’s a split personality. Bruce Banner and the Hulk are basically two different people trapped in one body. There’s so much to explore there: identity, trauma, control, and even self-worth.

But the movies never really dove into that. We got some surface-level banter between Hulk and Banner in Infinity War, and then bam - Endgame gave us Smart Hulk with almost no explanation.

Wait a minute...so they just “figured it out” off-screen?

Yupp - that whole evolution happened between movies. One second Hulk’s sulking, the next he’s wearing cardigans and eating pancakes with kids. It robbed us of what could’ve been a deeply emotional arc. Instead, it felt like Marvel took a shortcut because they didn’t know how to handle the complexity.

He got funnier, but less interesting

Let’s be real, Hulk being funny isn’t the issue - he was hilarious in Ragnarok, and even in Endgame, he had a few genuinely great moments. But the problem is, the more Marvel leaned into the comedy, the less serious Hulk became.

He went from an uncontrollable force of nature to a soft-spoken guy taking selfies with fans. Where’s the inner struggle? The rage? The stakes?

At some point, Marvel decided it was easier to make Hulk the butt of the joke rather than deal with the messiness of his power - and while it made for some laughs, it also hollowed out one of their most iconic characters.

Infinity War exposed all the cracks

If you weren’t convinced before, Infinity War made it obvious - Marvel had no real plan for Hulk.

The setup was there: he gets beaten by Thanos, then spends the rest of the film refusing to come out. That could’ve been the start of something powerful - maybe Hulk has to confront his fear, maybe he finds a new way to fight, maybe he and Banner finally face their issues.

But nope...nothing. No redemption, no payoff - Hulk just ghosts us for the rest of the movie (not even a mid-battle transformation). It felt like the writers had no clue what to do with him, so they just...didn’t - and that was the most frustrating part.

Final thoughts

Marvel never gave Hulk the love he deserved. He was powerful, complex, and iconic - but instead of crafting a proper arc, they tossed him around like a leftover side character. Infinity War didn’t just sideline him; it showed us that they never really knew how to use him in the first place.

So here’s hoping the next reboot gives Hulk the spotlight he's always deserved!