10 Worst Superhero Movies Of The 21st Century

There is constant debate regarding whether or not this film counts towards the tally for the Marvel Cinematic Universe among fans, with most debates generally boiling down to the fact it doesn’t deserve to be included alongside the strong names within consistent franchise (ignoring Thor: The Dark World).

Released around the same time as the first Iron Man film with Robert Downey Jr, The Incredible Hulk was originally anticipated to be more successful than Iron Man due to Downey Jr’s blacklisted reputation in Hollywood. However, the shock success not only shot Iron Man up the ranks as a formidable character, but blew Edward Norton’s Hulk away as his film received mediocre fan reception and a lack of spotlight.

Directed by Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me), Bruce Banner’s Hulk is challenged by arch nemesis, Abomination (Tim Roth), with the film basically being a long, fatigued build-up to a powerhouse punch-up at the end. With Liv Tyler also playing a key role, the studio went all out on casting but, the film was still missing that crucial memorable spark.

The film's under-performance at the box office led to an altered approach to the brutish green monster and its role within the MCU. Edward Norton was replaced by Mark Ruffalo when it came to re-visiting the character in 2012’s The Avengers, a decision that was widely accepted by the Marvel fanbase.

Every film including Hulk since his revival in 2012 shows that this change in perspective has definitely paid off.