Every Major Hulk Battle In The MCU Ranked Worst To Best

Since the beginning of the MCU, the franchise has featured many exciting and memorable Hulk battles that continue to stand out. Introduced early in the MCU’s movie timeline, the Hulk proved to be one of the franchise’s most important and consistent heroes. Despite only having starred in a single solvie movie in the franchise, Hulk has been prominently featured in many other movies and TV shows, making him a central figure in the franchise’s wider story.

As one of the strongest heroes introduced in the movies of the MCU, Hulk has participated in many excellent battles. The most noteworthy Hulk battles are those in which Hulk is pitted against an especially powerful adversary, though there have been many other examples of Hulk characters fighting within the franchise. With that in mind, here is every major Hulk battle in the MCU, ranked from worst to best.

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Special Mentions

Hulk Vs Wolverine – Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Hulk reflected in wolverine's claws in deadpool and wolverine

Though it can’t be considered a major Hulk battle, one particularly enticing showdown is teased during the introduction of Deadpool & Wolverine’s Wolverine variant montage. The scene shows Wolverine preparing to face off with a largely unseen Hulk, who makes only a brief cameo. Though the fight itself isn’t shown, it alludes to an iconic animated battle between the pair, and therefore is still deserving of an honorable mention.

Hulk Vs Fenrir – Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor: Ragnarok explored many interesting aspects of the Hulk as a hero, fleshing the character out considerably from previous appearances. The film’s climactic battle between Thor and Hela also sees Hulk face off against Fenrir, with the green behemoth taking down the colossal wolf. As it’s only a smaller part of a bigger scene, it’s not a major battle, but still a great moment for the hero.

She-Hulk Vs Daredevil – She Hulk: Attorney at Law, season 1, episode 8, “Ribbit and Rip It”

Another noteworthy minor Hulk battle in the MCU doesn’t involve the original hero at all, but rather his cousin, She-Hulk. In one of the most popular moments of her solo show, She-Hulk crosses the path of Daredevil, and the two briefly fight before becoming better acquainted. It may not qualify as a major battle, but it’s an excellent action scene nonetheless.

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Happy Hogan Hulk Vs The Avengers

What If…?, season 2, episode 3, “What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?”

One episode of season 2 of What If…? saw Happy Hogan inadvertently injected with a sample of Bruce Banner’s blood, transforming into a Hulk identified as the Freak. Hogan’s Hulk transformation was certainly interesting, and allowed him to combat Justin Hammer, who had taken control of the Iron Legion and Tony Stark’s Hulkbuster armor. Seeing Hogan’s Hulk character in action was decidedly less exciting than other Hulk battles, partly due to the way What If…? presented the scene.

The action sequence itself is a fun one, serving up levity more than any real sense of drama or danger. This, combined with its incredibly short length, made it a largely forgettable chapter in the history of Hulk battles in the MCU. Despite Happy Hogan’s Hulk being a fun concept and a great opportunity for comedy, it didn’t lend itself particularly well to a memorable battle.

7

Hulk Vs Abomination

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

As the beginning of Hulk’s MCU story, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk remains a hugely important chapter in the hero’s cinematic tenure. The film’s climactic battle sees Hulk face off against Abomination, the gamma-infused alter-ego of Emil Blonsky. Seeing the two powerful Hulks fighting against one another against the backdrop of Harlem has proved relatively memorable, although it’s still far from one of the best Hulk battles in the MCU.

The Incredible Hulk’s CGI may have been passable, but its use in the movie’s final battle was just a stroke too much. Seeing two huge monsters rendered in unimpressive CGI doing battle simply wasn’t hugely exciting, and robbed the scene of any semblance of humanity until its very end. It’s an important scene in the MCU’s history, but it simply isn’t an especially entertaining or noteworthy Hulk battle in comparison to others in the franchise.

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MegaHulk & The Mech Avengers Vs Apex

What If…?, season 3, episode 1, “What If… the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?”

As the very first episode of What If…? season 3, “What If… The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?” got the season off to an impressive start. The episode followed the Avengers as they made use of powerful mechs to battle various Hulk monsters, led by the powerful Apex, as Hulk himself disappeared into self-imposed exile. The episode ends with Banner coming back, transforming into MegaHulk and helping the Avengers battle Apex.

The scene depicting the battle between MegaHulk and Apex is epic in scale. The two colossal titans face off in a scene that pays homage to iconic kaiju movies, with Hulk eventually coming out on top and earning himself the status as the leader of the gamma monsters. The battle’s main downside is its short length, as it’s limited in its potential by the format of the show.

5

Red Hulk vs Captain America

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

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Though he doesn’t fully emerge until near the ending of Captain America: Brave New World, Red Hulk is a major part of its story. President Ross first transforms into Hulk form during a press conference, with Sam Wilson arriving to mitigate collateral damage. The scene that follows sees Captain America fight Red Hulk, attempting to talk him down while withstanding heavy attacks.

The battle takes place across Washington DC, and serves as an incredible introduction for Red Hulk into the MCU. Though its visuals leave something to be desired at points, the overall thrust of the battle is excellent, helping to establish exactly what sort of hero the MCU’s new Captain America will be. Seeing the volatile Thaddeus Ross transform into a powerful Hulk also served as the payoff for one of the MCU’s oldest teases, helping to make the battle that bit more exciting.

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Hulk Vs Thor

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Perhaps one of the most memorable Hulk battles in the entire MCU came during Thor: Ragnarok, shortly after Thor found himself imprisoned on Sakaar. Unexpectedly finding himself pitted against his fellow founding Avenger, The God of Thunder is taken by surprise when Hulk attacks him. The pair then face off in the Grandmaster’s arena, with Hulk narrowly coming out on top in the end.

As a battle, it’s a great moment for both heroes, and features some excellent high-powered action, showing two of the strongest Avengers fighting one another. However, the appearance of Gladiator Hulk seemed to be a clear reference to World War Hulk, and the scene’s delivery of the iconic story left much to be desired. Despite being an entertaining and funny scene in its own right, the squandered potential it signifies ultimately hurts the battle between the two Avengers.

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She-Hulk Vs Hulk

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, season 1, episode 1, “A Normal Amount of Rage”

Though it’s far from the most popular MCU TV show, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law featured a pretty excellent Hulk battle in its first episode. After transforming into She-Hulk, the hero approaches her cousin, Bruce Banner, for advice. He offers her some training in handling her newfound strength, involving controlling her transformations and accessing her abilities. The pair then engage in a low-stakes battle when She-Hulk attacks her cousin.

The battle between She-Hulk and Hulk is surprisingly great. Though the show’s reputation might suggest otherwise, seeing the two Hulks fighting is by far one of the best action sequences featuring the powerful green Avenger, as it taps into exactly what makes Hulk work on-screen. Making use of the tropical island setting and the comedic talents of both Mark Ruffalo and Tatiana Maslany, the battle served as a great introduction into the MCU for She-Hulk.

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Hulk Vs Thor

The Avengers (2012)

2012’s The Avengers saw the role of Hulk recast, introducing Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. Throughout the film’s first act, Banner is shown exercising good control to keep Hulk contained, although when the manipulations of Loki finally prove too much, Hulk and Thor begin to fight, destroying parts of the SHIELD helicarrier in the process. The fight between the two is simply one of the best Hulk battles in the MCU to date.

From the unveiling of Hulk’s new look to the visual balance required to bring both Thor and Hulk to life in the same scene, it’s a great battle. The destruction and animosity on display depicts not just Hulk’s capacity for anger, but also Thor’s ruthlessness when it comes to his fellow Avenger. Paying off Banner’s previous warnings to SHIELD about Hulk, the first battle between Thor and Hulk still stands out as an excellent MCU action scene.

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Hulk Vs The Hulkbuster

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

When it comes to the best Hulk battle in the MCU, there’s a clear stand-out best, which comes during Avengers: Age of Ultron. After being manipulated by Wanda Maximoff’s chaos magic, Hulk embarks on an unexpected rampage. The MCU’s Savage Hulk prompts Tony Stark to put his Hulkbuster armor to the test, with Iron Man facing off against Hulk in the streets of Johannesburg in an unforgettable display of carnage.

Seeing Hulk lose all inhibitions and begin attacking at will sets the high stakes of the scene, and the reveal of Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor remains one of the MCU’s coolest ever transformations. Everything about the battle from its visual presentation to its writing continues to set an incredibly high standard for Hulk’s action scenes, making it clear that it serves as the best Hulk battle in the entire MCU.

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