The Hulk in "The Avengers"

Whedon clearly loves the Hulk as much as I do. I don’t want to spoil any specific gags, but Hulk steals the whole goddamn movie. He gets three of the five biggest laughs in the film, and the film’s single most satisfying moment (I’ll just say it involves a very shocked looking Loki). My adult-ness was powerless to Hulk in The Avengers. When he was on screen my decades stripped away and I was left a 10-year-old boy, drooling with pure, guiltless, innocent joy. It was almost a religious experience. When Cap takes charge of the Avengers during the final battle, barking orders to our other heroes, then turns to a seething Hulk and says, “Hulk… smash” I literally teared up — from happiness! On my deathbed I very well may look back on my life’s brightest moments and have to decide if the birth of my first child should be above or below watching Hulk go completely apeshit in The Avengers. And I can’t leave out praise for Mark Ruffalo either. Eric Bana was a terrible choice for Banner. Too big, too handsome, and totally unbelievable as a rage-tormented genius. Edward Norton was a step in the right direction, but though many Hulk fans dug Norton as Banner, I did not. Ruffalo is perfect, especially for Whedon’s take on Banner, weary but with a sense of humor about it all. Ruffalo lacks the smugness that Norton brought to the role, and his look offsets him from the tall and buff actors surrounding him. After The Incredible Hulk I thought it would probably be best to retire the franchise and just keep Hulk for The Avengers. Now I’m not so sure. I think I’d like a Ruffalo solo film.

--Joshua Miller, CHUD.com