Every Mark Ruffalo MCU Movie & Show, Ranked

Though the best Mark Ruffalo movies go far beyond the superhero genre, there is an obvious specific interest in his appearances as Bruce Banner across many MCU projects. Though Edward Norton originated the role of Bruce Banner, AKA The Hulk, in The Incredible Hulk, the recasting and debut of Mark Ruffalo proved to be a hit, and he has continued to be a huge part of the MCU since Phase 1. This has resulted in a lot of Mark Ruffalo movies and shows within the MCU, some that are better than others.

Ruffalo made his MCU debut inThe Avengers, and while he has yet to get his own solo Hulk project, he has appeared in 10 movies and shows within the cinematic universe. Some of these have been forgettable and criticized entries, while others are seen as top-tier Marvel hits. While Hulk’s future in the MCU remains unclear, the number of Marvel projects he’s appeared in — from stories where the Hulk features prominently to small cameos — means he’s had more than enough MCU screen-time to make ranking Mark Ruffalo’s MCU appearances worthwhile.

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10 Iron Man 3 (2013)

The whereabouts of Bruce Banner after The Avengers were revealed when he appeared in the post-credits scene for Iron Man 3. Bruce turned out to be staying with Tony Stark, although he wasn’t exactly interested in Tony’s retelling of the events of the movie. Iron Man 3 marked the final solo outing for Robert Downey Jr’s which saw him having to become a hero outside the Iron Man suit. With writer-director Shane Black bringing his action-comedy chops to the sequel, Iron Man 3 is a fun time. However, not everyone appreciated the twist involving The Mandarin, and since Mark Ruffalo’s appearance was only a post-credits cameo, Iron Man 3 doesn’t win back any favor for his inclusion.

9 Captain Marvel (2019)

Among the changes fans wanted in the MCU was the presence of a leading female superhero, which was achieved with Captain Marvel. The film depicts Carol Danvers’ origin story where she gains powers from the Space Stone and helps the Skrulls fight off Ronan’s attacks. Ruffalo only appears in the post-credits scene of Captain Marvel, set in the present day. The Avengers are shown discussing Danvers’ arrival before she meets them in person. Brie Larson delivered a powerful new MCU hero, and pairing her with young Nick Fury worked. However, the lackluster final act let it down, and as with Iron Man 3, Bruce Banner’s incredibly brief appearance means Captain Marvel doesn’t climb any places when focusing MCU movies through a Mark Ruffalo lens.

8 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)

Mark Ruffalo made his first appearance in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame in the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Bruce was shown in human form and was summoned to share his opinion on the strange power of the Ten Rings. While that tease might connect to the wider universe, Shang-Chi works best as its own solo story that introduces this exciting new hero. Simu Lui is impressive in his breakout role while the martial arts fight scenes and layered villain in Tony Leung’s Wenwu made Shang-Chi one of the best-reviewed movies of Phase 4. As far as Mark Ruffalo MCU appearances go, this one was both unexpected and welcome since Shang-Chi and Bruce Banner aren’t connected in the same way as Hulk and Iron-Man.

7 What If…? (2021-)

A number of different scenarios are present in What If…? that shows events already seen in the MCU in alternate universes. Mark Ruffalo returned to voice Bruce Banner in stories set during times like the Infinity War and Bruce’s escape from Thunderbolt Ross’ forces. What If…? offered a glimpse at some situations fans thought they would never see in the MCU. For instance, Ruffalo was one of the main actors for the zombie arc, which will also be receiving a Marvel Zombies spin-off for how popular it turned out to be. However, there was also a feeling that it was more disposable and less important than most MCU projects.

RELATED: Marvel’s What If…? Season 2 Must Avoid Phase 4’s Multiverse Confusion

6 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022-)

An appearance from Bruce Banner/Hulk was one of the primary things fans wanted to see in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The show focuses on Jennifer Walters as she balances being She-Hulk and a lawyer, with Smart Hulk appearing infrequently to offer her guidance. She-Hulk has been acclaimed for being the first outright comedy feature in the MCU. Mark Ruffalo has also been able to display his comedy chops through hilarious sequences shared with Tatiana Maslany, whose funny and heartwarming performance sells the show. The fourth-wall-breaking nature of the series and its wild finale showed it was willing to do something different with the MCU formula.

5 Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

Though the sequel proved to be a major hit at the box office, the popularity of Avengers: Age of Ultron waned quickly since its release. The story follows rogue AI Ultron gaining sentience and taking drastic measures to fulfill his twisted interpretation of Tony Starks goal — “peace in our time.” New characters like Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were introduced and there were setups for the Infinity Stones and Thanos to come into play later. Age of Ultron was Ruffalo’s second full-time outing as Bruce Banner and Hulk. What makes Age of Ultron a great MCU Mark Ruffalo appearance is how much it showcased the internal struggle between Bruce Banner and the Hulk, laying fundamental groundwork for the character’s big-screen future.

4 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The most ambitious team-up took place in Avengers: Infinity War, where the universe’s heroes attempted to stop Thanos from completing the Snap. Bruce took control of the body after Hulk was stomped by Thanos during their battle, with Bruce heading to Wakanda with his allies to fight off Thanos’ invasion. Avengers: Infinity War was lauded for the way it tackled showing so many heroes during its runtime. Bringing the Guardians of the Galaxy into the fold was exciting while the depiction of Thanos made for the best Marvel villain. It built to a shocking conclusion that delivered an emotional gut punch to fans while setting up an epic conclusion — all of which heavily featured Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner.

3 The Avengers (2012)

Mark Ruffalo made his MCU debut in The Avengers, which went a long way in summing up the Hulk’s role in the MCU after Edward Norton left the role. The Avengers sees S.H.I.E.L.D. pluck Bruce from his hiding location to join the titular team, eventually fighting off Loki’s invasion. Any doubts of whether this idea of a cinematic would work were silenced with the success of The Avengers, it became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time while earning strong reviews. The clashing egos of these comic book icons showed everyone how much fun it was going to be for a whole universe where these larger-than-life characters could interact.

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2 Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Bruce and Thor hadn’t had any scenes together prior to Thor: Ragnarok, but the movie established them as firm friends. Thor comes across Hulk in Sakaar as the Grandmaster’s champion, eventually recruiting him to fight against his villainous sister Hela. Thor: Ragnarok reinvented Thor after his solo franchise had failed to strike a chord with audiences. Taika Waititi’s brand of comedy and Chris Hemsworth’s fun performance helped it become the highest-grossing Thor movie as well as earning some of the best reviews of any MCU project, it was also pretty much a “Hulk & Thor” movie in all but name, and as such has some of Mark Ruffalo’s best MCU moments to date.

1 Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Some fans found Bruce’s turn into Smart Hulk to be one of the disappointing moments in the MCU for how sudden it was. Avengers: Endgame introduced Smart Hulk out of the blue, who went on to reverse the Snap and fought in the Battle of Earth to defeat Thanos. Avengers: Endgame was universally acclaimed for tying the 22-film arc of the Infinity Saga together for an action-packed extravaganza. The movie worked not only as a grand superhero adventure, but also an emotionally satisfying way of bringing this chapter of the MCU to a close. It saw the end of some beloved characters in the MCU while also setting up the future. With such a huge story, Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing movie of all time — and, thanks to Smart Hulk it’s also the best Mark Ruffalo MCU movie.

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