MCU: Every Hulk Appearance Ranked Worst To Best

The Avengers already had a huge task on its shoulders in bringing together characters like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America together for the first time for an adventure that didn't feel like a jumbled mess, but it also had to cope with the issue of having to introduce Mark Ruffalo to audiences following Edward Norton's exit from the franchisel.

Had Ruffalo not clicked with people right out of the gate, The Avengers likely would not have held together as well as it did, as both Bruce and the Hulk were instrumental players in the film. Fortunately, though, it all worked out, as Ruffalo brought his own nervous charm to Bruce, the character working well on screen with people like Tony and Natasha, and the revamped Hulk himself frequently stole the show.

From teaching Loki a lesson in humility to fighting against and with Thor to the big, crowd-pleasing "I'm always angry" moment to Cap giving the Hulk full permission to smash, the film did more than right by the duo. It also cemented both Bruce and his alter-ego's status as characters who work best being able to bounce off these other colorful personalities, all anchored by a great performance from Ruffalo that made it easy to overlook the loss of Norton.