In case you missed it, Vin Diesel, who voices Groot in Guardians Of The Galaxy, recently suggested that Marvel's two greatest green heroes will be facing off in the relatively near future. Specifically, Slashfilm quoted Diesel as saying "you are going to see Groot and Hulk battle." Presumably this will happen in Infinity War, and Diesel seems pretty sure about himself, even going so far as to add, "you are going to see that poster: Hulk vs. Groot."
That sounds wonderful, but should we be surprised? This is just the latest instance of a long line of indications that Hulk makes everything awesome. Even in more modern entertainment, so long as we exclude Ang Lee's disastrous cinematic misfire in 2003, Hulk tends to equal pure fun. Let's quickly glance back at the evidence.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
This is about the 2005 video game from Radical Entertainment and Sierra that might still be the most enjoyable Marvel console game out there. In fact, it's probably the only great thing to come of Lee's big screen debacle. Developed for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, it allowed players to control the Hulk in an open world environment filled with easily destroyed bad guys, buildings, and vehicles. The narrative was based on a combination of plot lines from comics and the movie, but this was really about getting a taste of what it would feel like to be a giant unstoppable green rage beast.
The Incredible Hulk Slots
There are actually a lot of Marvel-based slot machine arcades you can find around the internet, and most of them lazily employ Marvel characters as a means of simultaneously attracting players and promoting movies. While the ensemble casts of the Avengers and X-Men might generate the most attention in this niche gaming genre, Casino Source also lists a Hulk-themed game that pops up on a few prominent sites. If you take a look you'll see that the Hulk game also stands above its fellow Marvel attractions. Free from the need to promote a specific movie, this game just has fun with its subject matter. There's even a bonus in the middle of a slot reel experience where your goal is to smash a bunch of police cars, making it more than your average slot experience.
The Ed Norton Film
Ed Norton's take on Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk was overshadowed by Robert Downey Jr.'s intoxicating first turn as Tony Stark. In retrospect this was a pretty decent film, and maybe one of the MCU's best. There's a reason it's the subject of countless online forum discussions expressing a point similar to one that was laid out in detail by The Odyssey Online: this is one of Marvel's most underrated movies. Once again, the Hulk was more fun than he got credit for.
Comic Relief In Avengers Movies
For all his rage and fury the Hulk is also usually one of the shining points of levity in the sometimes overly self-serious world of the MCU. Whether it's hurling around the "puny god" Loki like a rag doll or spending his summer vacation hanging out with Thor, the Hulk is not only quite possibly the strongest superhero out there, but also the funniest.
Intergalactic Buddy Cops
All early indications are that Thor: Ragnarok will essentially be an intergalactic buddy cop movie featuring Thor and Hulk in the main roles. The title "Ragnarok" might promise some pretty dire events for those who know the comics, and we're bound to see some sort of cosmic shenanigans from the likes of Loki, but it's all going to pale in comparison to Thor and Hulk goofing their way to saving the universe. We're going to go ahead and say that where pure fun is concerned, Hulk is sure to make this one of the MCU's best efforts.
Finally, there's the forthcoming Groot brawl, in what could become the MCU's most entertaining scene. Add it all up, and Marvel's secret sauce becomes clear. Whenever the Hulk is around, things get significantly more fun.
That sounds wonderful, but should we be surprised? This is just the latest instance of a long line of indications that Hulk makes everything awesome. Even in more modern entertainment, so long as we exclude Ang Lee's disastrous cinematic misfire in 2003, Hulk tends to equal pure fun. Let's quickly glance back at the evidence.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
This is about the 2005 video game from Radical Entertainment and Sierra that might still be the most enjoyable Marvel console game out there. In fact, it's probably the only great thing to come of Lee's big screen debacle. Developed for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, it allowed players to control the Hulk in an open world environment filled with easily destroyed bad guys, buildings, and vehicles. The narrative was based on a combination of plot lines from comics and the movie, but this was really about getting a taste of what it would feel like to be a giant unstoppable green rage beast.
The Incredible Hulk Slots
There are actually a lot of Marvel-based slot machine arcades you can find around the internet, and most of them lazily employ Marvel characters as a means of simultaneously attracting players and promoting movies. While the ensemble casts of the Avengers and X-Men might generate the most attention in this niche gaming genre, Casino Source also lists a Hulk-themed game that pops up on a few prominent sites. If you take a look you'll see that the Hulk game also stands above its fellow Marvel attractions. Free from the need to promote a specific movie, this game just has fun with its subject matter. There's even a bonus in the middle of a slot reel experience where your goal is to smash a bunch of police cars, making it more than your average slot experience.
The Ed Norton Film
Ed Norton's take on Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk was overshadowed by Robert Downey Jr.'s intoxicating first turn as Tony Stark. In retrospect this was a pretty decent film, and maybe one of the MCU's best. There's a reason it's the subject of countless online forum discussions expressing a point similar to one that was laid out in detail by The Odyssey Online: this is one of Marvel's most underrated movies. Once again, the Hulk was more fun than he got credit for.
Comic Relief In Avengers Movies
For all his rage and fury the Hulk is also usually one of the shining points of levity in the sometimes overly self-serious world of the MCU. Whether it's hurling around the "puny god" Loki like a rag doll or spending his summer vacation hanging out with Thor, the Hulk is not only quite possibly the strongest superhero out there, but also the funniest.
Intergalactic Buddy Cops
All early indications are that Thor: Ragnarok will essentially be an intergalactic buddy cop movie featuring Thor and Hulk in the main roles. The title "Ragnarok" might promise some pretty dire events for those who know the comics, and we're bound to see some sort of cosmic shenanigans from the likes of Loki, but it's all going to pale in comparison to Thor and Hulk goofing their way to saving the universe. We're going to go ahead and say that where pure fun is concerned, Hulk is sure to make this one of the MCU's best efforts.
Finally, there's the forthcoming Groot brawl, in what could become the MCU's most entertaining scene. Add it all up, and Marvel's secret sauce becomes clear. Whenever the Hulk is around, things get significantly more fun.