10 Best CGI Movie Characters Ever

4. Hulk - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Hulk Thor Ragnarok
Marvel Studios

After several modern-day attempts to bring the Green Goliath to big-screen life, it looked as if comic book fans were destined to never see a proper take on the Hulk realised on the silver screen. Ang Lee’s Hulk, while a slow-built and nuanced picture, needed a major injection of “Hulk Smash!!!!” and featured a titular character who grew to ridiculous sizes. Then there was Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk, which was a solid popcorn movie yet had an awful villain and was maybe a little too reliant on “Hulk Smash!!!!”

Upon Bruce Banner’s gargantuan alter-ego being brought to life in The Avengers, though, finally we had the perfect balance of subtle and smash. And just as important as the characteristics of the World-Breaker, this incarnation of Hulk was a visual delight. With Mark Ruffalo’s face incorporated into the character in addition to Ruffalo carrying out motion capture work, this CGI creation looked as if it had been pulled directly from the pages of Marvel Comics.

Since then, the character and the visual detail of Hulk has gone from strength to strength with each MCU appearance. The big question many have, mind, is whether Hulk is a strong enough character to finally anchor his own successful movie – or whether it’s just a case of this being a character who works best as part of a larger ensemble.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.