Upon entrance into post-production for the untitled Avengers film, a series of teasers have been making their way into media through its directors and actors alike. One perhaps overzealous teaser was recently provided by Marvel’s unofficial spoiler king Mark Ruffalo on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, prompting his ‘firing’ by Anthony and Joe Russo over Twitter. Although the Tweet appears to be all in good jest, there is no doubt, with only one more film left in his contract, the curtain is closing on Ruffalo’s Marvel run.
Driven by both this knowledge, as well as my most recent rewatching of earlier Avengers films in preparation for the upcoming 2019 release, I have decided to delve into a brief history of Bruce Banner’s evolution since his appearance in the first Avengers.
Avengers (2012)
We start with an infamous and ostracized doctor hiding in the slums of India. Although he is recruited because of his intellect, he is hyper-aware of how others view him, how they may gauge him as a potential threat, testing Natasha by pretending to grow suddenly angry with her to assess how she reacts.
He carries with him a nonchalant cynicism which comes out in snarky one-liners like “Oh, no, this is much worse” in response to the helicarrier becoming airborne, “Well, this all seems horrible” upon finally arriving at the battle of New York on a moped, and then referring to his Hulking out as a “party trick”.
His own tragedies are regarded with either withdrawn bitterness, like the offhanded statement about not always getting what he wants—a haunted line when accompanied by his gentle pushing of a baby cradle—or a rising temper as in the description he gives of his suicide attempt and his anger towards Fury, although even this is ultimately a contained reaction. As Tony Stark puts it, “He’s tiptoeing.”
One line puts a crack in this façade: “That’s my secret, Cap. I’m always angry.” Delivered just before his dramatic transformation into the Hulk during the climactic battle scene, Banner says this line completely composed with only the hint of a solemn smile. With it, Banner’s level-headed demeanor is put into question, suggesting there is far more bubbling underneath the surface than the audience can see. Bruce Banner, according to this, is far too experienced in the art of hiding his emotions.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
In this sequel, his character continues to deflect with snide remarks and introversion. However, despite his obvious insecurities, we see him more willing to engage with others, attempting to flirt with Natasha and spending some time at Tony’s party. The comedy attached to his character extends beyond that of his sarcasm. When he growls during his effort to lift the Mjölnir, the audience catches a glimpse at the somewhat goofy scientist that lies within.
But his character’s introspection becomes darker. The potential relationship between him and Natasha further expose not only his desire for a normal life but also his fear that it is unattainable. “Where in the world am I not a threat?” he says to her when she suggests they run away together.
And just as he may believe he is learning to control Hulk, a manipulation by Scarlet Witch incites him to rampage in a nearby city, causing destruction and terrifying the citizens. Later, he tells her, “I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade”, which further unravels the dualism of his character, the well-mannered Bruce Banner repressing the raging Hulk. He, as Bruce Banner and not Hulk, is capable of anger and a full range of human emotions, even if he often appears to keep these feelings within himself.
By the end of the film, we have seen him reach his lowest point, forced to relive his nightmare and betrayed by the woman he thought he might love.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Taika Waititi’s often satirical humor brings out a different side of the mild-mannered Bruce Banner. The gravity and wit about him in Joss Whedon’s films are replaced by unrestrained anxiety and a comical confusion that juxtapose his scientific intellect (proven by his excessive 7 PhDs).
After two years under Hulk’s control, Banner returns disoriented and unable to grapple with either what is happening around him or his emotional reactions, telling Thor “I think I’m freaking out.” For the first time in many years, he can experience and outwardly express intense emotions of fear and thrill without transforming into the Hulk.
While maintaining a sense of his earlier sarcasm, this representation of Bruce feels more honest about his internal monologue, one where his ever-present discomfiture is not only implicit but expressed outright through his words and actions. From the constant pulling at his tight pants, his clumsy fist bump/high five with Thor, and the anticlimactic fall he intends as a dramatic entrance, the seriousness around his character is pulled back to reveal a real human being that is both awkward and unsure.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
With a hodgepodge of Marvel characters making appearances in this film, Bruce Banner’s screen time was minimal. Still, his character transformation can be observed in the few scenes in which he appears.
While his unexpressive acknowledgement of Natasha when he returns to Earth is reminiscent of the uncertainty of his previous self, the somber embrace he shares with Tony during their reunion feels more intimate than any gesture possible by the detached scientist of Avengers and Age of Ultron.
Catching up on the two years he missed, his constant confusion keeps him from reaching the same composure from earlier films. The quirkiness in his character lingers from Ragnarök, resulting in silly instances like when he asks “Broke up? Like the Beatles?” that balance the sudden intensity of the war and the other characters, whose tensions have grown deeper as a result of the events since he has last seen them.
To put it plainly, he seems lost and still finding his footing, tricked by Rhodey into bowing to T’Challa and corrected by Shuri when he explains Vision’s design to her. Beyond this, he also becomes a target of mockery, made to look mildly incompetent when he is unable to transform into Hulk—a moment that feels strangely reflective of another dilemma that many middle-aged men face—and when he is on the receiving end of Okoye’s disapproving look after he trips in the Hulk Buster.
This is, of course, not to say that his character is made lesser for this. In fact, I believe it is made stronger. Without the constant threat of the Hulk breaking through, the audience and the other characters can see him as a human like us, someone capable of expressing himself and his emotions, someone who enthusiastically shouts to the enemy “You guys are screwed now” out of excitement for Thor’s arrival in Wakanda, and whose nature is sometimes, ironically, non-threatening to the point of being comical.
Caterina Viscito is a sophomore in Columbia College.