With the reveal of Red Hulk’s (Harrison Ford) involvement in theupcoming and highly anticipated fourth entryin theCaptain Americafranchise,Captain America: Brave New World, folks who aren’t familiar with the comic book universe have a lot of questions about this new transformation. To those who may be wondering, while they may look similar, Red Hulk and the classic Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are not as alike as their looks lead people to believe.
The differences don’t end at just their identities but go as deep as their very power sets and other key details. Should Marvel Studios take this new Hulk in a direction that is closer to the source material, the cinematic universe is going to gain a whole new character far unlike the Hulk that general audiences know and love.This list will address the main differences between Hulk and Red Hulk, providing more insights into their personas and roles in the larger Marvel universe.
Captain America: Brave New World
10Identities
Obvious, but important.
Of course, they are not the same person; that much is clear from theCaptain America: Brave New Worldtrailers. However, the difference between Hulk and Red Hulk’s identities is crucial to the rest of their differences, to the point where the identity dissimilarity needs to be acknowledged before anything else.
Everyone knows the ever-lovable Bruce Banner is the not-so-jolly-green-giant who is a core member of the Avengers. The mild-mannered scientist personality of Banner is far different from the man beneath the big red muscles of Red Hulk. Much like the newCaptain Americamovie to hit the MCU in 2025, the new giant character is actually Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, one of Hulk’s biggest adversaries. Not just a foe but a far different man from Bruce—beinga hardened and gruff military member instead of a science man.
9Hulk-Form’s Intelligence
Not every Hulk has a lower IQ.
One of the most notable features of Bruce Banner’sHulk is that he has a lower IQthan the scientist and is usually a bit more uncontrollable and animalistic, as showcased in the early Avengers films. The same cannot be said about Ross' Red Hulk form in the Marvel Comics universe.The intelligence that Thunderbolt Ross retains as Red Hulk is far greaterand more dangerous than his green counterpart.
Red Hulk’s superior intelligence allows him to be far more tactical and strategic in fights and think more about the moves he’s making.
For reasons that will be discussed later, the Red Hulk is far smarter and more tactical than the regular Hulk, which gives him a huge upper hand in battle. His superior intelligence allows him to be far more tactical and strategic in fights and think more about the moves he’s making when facing The Hulk or whatever foe stands in his way.
8Weaknesses
One Hulk’s weakness is another Hulk’s power.
Much like Superman, Hulk doesn’t have too many weaknesses in pretty much any iteration. However, the ones he does have are very powerful. Some of the green giant’s biggest weaknesses are the Bruce Banner identity, which calms him down and makes him less of a threat, and strong levels of cosmic radiation. This final weakness has never been showcased in the MCU, but it’s a very big one in the comics. In fact, Hulk is farweaker in the movies than in the comics.
Red Hulk does not suffer from the same ailments, especially due to the nature of his creation (more on that later). Due to his unique power set, though,he’s extremely vulnerable to overheating, negative energy,and generally severe physical damage. While it’s a special catalog of weaknesses, it gives the two foes more of a dynamic when it comes to fighting each other.
7Moral Alignment
Not every Hulk is a good guy!
Although he has been depicted as antagonistic in the past due to his susceptibility to losing control of his rage (which has arguablyled to some very rewatchable scenes),Hulk is very much a heroin pretty much every way. On the other hand,Red Hulk’s moral alignment has been a bit all over the chart, starting as a villain and now being considered something of an antihero, which seems to be a bit of the direction they’re trying to go inCaptain America: Brave New World.
One of the reasons Red Hulk has no weakness for cosmic radiation is because, in his creation, cosmic radiation was used specifically to combat the Hulk, as he had the sole intention of killing the hero (pretty villainous). But, as his villain days wavered off, Red Hulk would go on to form one of the variations of the Thunderbolts team (fitting, given his name). He has even had a stint or two as a full-blown Avenger, meaning he’s a bit all over the board in morality.
6Acceptance
“For years, I’ve been treating the Hulk as some sort of disease…”
For years upon years in the MCU, Bruce and the Hulk personalities were at odds, which is very comic-accurate. Eventually, though, the two found solace and are now one and the same. This same approach has happened a few times in the books, but Marvel editorial keeps bringing him back to the base “we don’t like each other” relationship, as it’s one of the more iconic aspects of the character. Hulk was burdened onto Banner by accident; the scientist never wanted this curse.
Thunderbolt Ross did want the power. He explicitly sought out the transformation so he could get revenge on his nemesis after blaming him for the loss of his daughter,the often-forgotten Betty (Liv Tyler). Betty met her end from radiation poisoning, which Ross was quick to link to the doctor-turned-avenger. His rage and grief led him to want a life of Red Hulk-ing.
“The gamma just unleashed what was already there.”
Everyone already knows that the event that turned Bruce Banner into one of the most famous Marvel superheroes of all time was a complete accident. Bruce Banner wasn’t testing on himself or trying to make any modifications, like, say, Spider-Man’s badass lizard villain. He was infected with gamma rays by trying to save a young man from the very fate that would be bestowed onto him.
As stated, Thunderbolt Ross sought out his Red Hulk transformation after the loss of Betty Ross. He came to M.O.D.O.K., the Leader, and Doc Samson to use some of the gamma energy taken from Hulk, mixed with cosmic energy, and infuse it into himself, all in hopes he could become something to kill his daughter’s “murderer.” While Hulk is the product of an accident,Red Hulk is the product of an experiment.
The Incredible Hulk
4Control Over Identities
“Split personality” doesn’t come in red.
Another classic Hulk-ism is Banner and his alter-persona having quite the internal conflict. While the green giant may be presented as a different personality, he’s truly just a manifestation of Bruce Banner’s repressed anger and fury, which makes himamong the most brutal Avengers. They may come from the same root but are very different branches. They don’t get along and never have (for the most part, that is).
Due to the nature of his creation and far bolder and more commanding personality,Thunderbolt Ross has complete control over his Red Hulk form. This key detail is especially helpful, given that Ross is a military man and knows tactics and battle strategy. Ross’s control over his transformation makes him super dangerous for the Hulk, who is far less smart about his fighting skills and strategies.
3Combat Styles
Anger makes one… messy.
Showcased best in movies likeThor: Ragnarok, Hulk’s anger and lack of control make him a bit of a messier and animalistic fighter. He’s often depicted as more ape-like in his movements and demeanor, which means he’s very brawler-style. He doesn’t have any sort of specific fighting strategy, which can help him by making him unpredictable but also open to easy and precise moves, like when he’s taken down by Thanos (Josh Brolin) at the beginning ofAvengers: Infinity War.
Being a seasoned member of the military, Thunderbolt Ross can think about his actions far better than the green Avenger can.This strategic mindset makes him the perfect foil to the Hulkand his fighting abilities. Whether this key detail will be adapted toCaptain America: Brave New Worldis still up in the air as Red Hulk seems pretty classic Hulk-like in the trailers. But, regardless,the original Red Hulk has a very dangerous combat style.
Avengers: Infinity War
2What Happens When They’re Angry
“You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”
Anger is a defining feature of the Hulk. It’s publicly known that the original green guy gets stronger the angrier he gets, making his strength essentially limitless as long as he continues to get angry,which can make him pretty scary. This aspect is a huge part of what makes him such an impossibly strong character in the comics (he literally has broken planets before).
The same cannot be said for Red Hulk and his anger. Because his powers are far more radiation-based,Red Hulk actually gets hotter the angrier he gets, but his strength remains largely intact. It’s a major weakness, as he can overheat and become disoriented. This warming element of his abilities comes directly from the difference in power set that he has with Hulk.
1Radiation Powers
They don’t just get strong!
While Hulk may have gotten his powers from gamma radiation, he isn’t directly using it. The gamma in his body allows his muscles to contort and transform him into Hulk, but the use of radiation ends right there, explaining why he’s amongthe most powerful Marvel characters.
On the other hand, Red Hulk is a completely different story. He still possesses the core strength and durability of Banner’s Hulk, but the use of cosmic radiation in his creation changes things from there.The radiation heat he gives off when he gets angry can go as far as burning things he touches.He doesn’t just radiate radiation, though; he can absorb it—and not just gamma or cosmic. The Red Hulk can absorb any sort of radiation rays. However, this unique power also damages him, meaning if he overuses this ability, he will go back to his human form.
