10 Movie Characters Who Were Perfectly Cast (The Third Time)

8. The Hulk - Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers)

The Predecessors

Eric Bana was the first actor to play The Hulk in a live-action feature film, Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, and though he certainly nailed the smouldering intensity of Bruce Banner, the film's brutal pacing and uneven script largely undermined his fine work.

Up next was Edward Norton, who played Banner/Hulk in the black sheep movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

Despite Norton's rep of being difficult to work with, he was exceptionally well cast in the part and did a remarkable job with decent - though hardly great - material.

Third Time's The Charm...

After Norton had a falling out with Marvel, the part was re-cast with Mark Ruffalo taking the reins.

Ruffalo was fortunate enough to be introduced in Joss Whedon's The Avengers, and given Whedon's massive love for and knowledge of the character, it's little surprise he wrote by far the most compelling and entertaining screen version of The Hulk to date.

Ruffalo was perfectly cast as the awkward genius Banner, while performance capture tech ensured his Hulk captured the dichotomy of human and beast better than any prior iteration.

The MCU has smartly used The Hulk as a peripheral attraction rather than a front-and-center star ever since, which combined with how spot-on Ruffalo is for the part, ensures his rendition of the Big Green Guy smokes every prior version.