Hulk Hasn't Been The Strongest Avenger Since Phase 1

The Hulk, who made his MCU debut in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, played by Edward Norton, used to be the strongest Avenger in the MCU, but that hasn't been the case since Phase 1. In 2012, Mark Ruffalo took over the Hulk role, portraying the character in the MCU crossover event of The Avengers. Ruffalo's version of Bruce Banner and the Hulk has appeared in numerous MCU outings since then, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Ragnarok, in which he was essentially the co-lead alongside the titular hero. Bruce Banner and the Hulk will next be seen in the Disney+ original series She-Hulk, which is set to release on August 17.

Both Bruce Banner and the Hulk have had a significant impact on the MCU's overarching narrative. His most notable contribution was undoubtedly through the key role of "Smart Hulk" in Avengers: Endgame, in which the combined Bruce Banner/Hulk persona used the collected Infinity Stones to restore half the universe's population with a single snap. His hand in creating Ultron is not a moment to be forgotten either. Banner and the Hulk's relationships with the other Avengers, such as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) have also created some interesting story beats and aided character development throughout the MCU.

Joe and Anthony Russo, who together directed some of the franchise's most important movies, were recently asked who they considered the strongest Avenger in the MCU. Their answer acknowledged a few obvious choices, such as Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Thor, but they made it very clear, albeit jokingly, that they did not believe it to be the Hulk. Though their answer was given in jest, the Russo brothers do have a point. The Hulk hasn't been the strongest Avenger since Phase 1, due to the inclusion of numerous new overly-powerful superheroes, as well as the portrayal of the Hulk’s losses within the MCU since Ruffalo's first appearance as the character.

Why Hulk Isn't The Strongest Avenger In The MCU

The Hulk has suffered quite a few notable losses since Avengers: Age of Ultron, which saw him go on a rampage throughout Johannesburg. In Thor: Ragnarok, the Hulk and Thor had an entertaining battle on Sakaar, but the Hulk would have lost to Thor if it weren't for the Grand Master's interference in the match. And though the Hulk was able to defeat Hela's giant resurrected wolf Fenris on Asgard, he was defeated by Thanos soon after in the opening sequence of Avengers: Infinity War. This led to the Hulk's disappearing act throughout the rest of the film, as he tried to come to terms with losing that fight.

While his snapping back half the universe is a heroic moment, the Hulk wasn't able to contribute much in the battle against Thanos's army as a result of the physical distress caused by wielding all the Infinity Stones at once. Barring a few stand-out altercations, such as his overpowering of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in the first Avengers film, the Hulk has had very few opportunities to show off the strength he wields in the comics, and plenty of characters have joined the MCU since The Avengers who could easily take him on.

Thor: Ragnarok already proved that the MCU's Thor would beat the MCU's Hulk in a fight, especially now that Thor has a full handle on his god-like powers following Ragnarok, Infinity War, Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Captain Marvel could undoubtedly handle the Hulk's vast physical powers as well, as Thanos had a much harder time against her in Endgame than he ever did against the Hulk in Infinity War. Wanda Maximoff could use her considerable magical powers to overpower the Hulk's mind again, as she did in Age of Ultron, or take him out physically quite easily, just as she did to Earth-838's Black Bolt (Anson Mount) and Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Likewise, Doctor Strange could also probably defeat the Hulk with relative ease, utilizing similar methods to Wanda.

The Hulk's strength has been inconsistent throughout his tenure in the MCU, and there are plenty of other characters, both currently and in the future, who could quite easily overpower him. Despite Tony Stark's insistence that Hulk is the strongest Avenger in the Avengers' Quinjet computer system, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. But, as the Hulk and Bruce Banner are still a key part of the MCU going forward, the Hulk's powerful legacy in the MCU, starting from his introduction in The Incredible Hulk, still has time to change.

Next: Iron Man's Funeral Teased A Huge Hulk Change Nobody Noticed