10 Best Character Arcs In The MCU (So Far)

Due to some actor switch-ups and licensing issues, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) had a pretty topsy-turvy arc throughout his MCU story. First appearing in The Incredible Hulk with Ed Norton in the title role, Banner and Hulk were re-vamped in Avengers, but never had a solo feature again.

But that doesn't much matter. In fact, it allowed the green giant a chance to have a more subtle, well-crafted arc over several movies, rather than throwing it all into one film. Bruce started out as an accident gone wrong who couldn't live with what he had become, trying to kill himself only for Hulk to reject the bullet.

Later, he joined the Avengers, and proved to be a vital ally in the Battle of New York and then went on to help create Ultron. Realising Hulk was too dangerous, he fled earth entirely, where Hulk took over control of Banner and remained a gladiatorial champion on an alien planet, where he was reunited with Thor and ended up back on earth in the fight against Thanos.

By Endgame, following the Snap, Banner had put his and Hulk's issues aside and combined both aspects of himself into one cohesive mind and body. It's a startling journey, quite tragic in its centre but ending on an undeniable high. Here's to hoping fans get to see more of Big Green in the future.