This is one of several ways the film improves over its spiritual predecessor, Ang Lee’s Hulk (2003), which tended to become far too over-analytical and symbolic for its own good at times. It’s easy to argue that the film plays it safe by sticking to the standard Hulk format of ‘running away from the military and wanting to be cured’ but as a result we are presented with an engaging superhero blockbuster that does exactly what you’d expect it to do. The plot therefore moves at a frantic pace and employs a simple narrative that is easy to follow and has clear motivations. The former remains the focal point of the narrative, as we follow Banner’s journey from South America to the U.S., initially alone and then in the arms of his lover Betty Ross. In classic Hulk fashion, this film mainly functions on two levels as a fugitive story, regarding one man’s desperation to escape from a military that wants to use his powers for ill, and the duology regarding the mild-mannered Banner and the savage beast that lurks within. There’s a point to be made that the Hulk has been an intrinsic factor in Marvel’s rise to the heights of popular culture and naturally this has resulted in the character’s heavy presence in the MCU.

The latter was the first live-action Marvel adaptation to hit the mainstream, marking the beginning of Marvel’s reinvention as more than just a comic book publisher. Perhaps the best-known version is the eponymous 1970s TV series The Incredible Hulk, which starred Bill Bixby as Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. These recognisable human struggles have turned the Hulk into a fictional icon, reinforced through adaptations of the character outside the comics. Since his debut, the Hulk has arguably personified the idea of anger borne of injustice, prejudice, alienation and the struggle with one’s inner dark side.

Bruce Banner and his green-skinned, rage-fuelled alter-ego has entered the pantheon of modern popular culture. Whether you’ve ever read a Marvel comic book or not, the story of Dr.

The incredible hulk what savage beast