All 6 Hulk Actors in Order: Who Played Jade Giant the Best?

The Hulk, just like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, has had multiple actors play the Green Rage monster. Dating back to the 1970s, we have seen multiple different versions of the character on screen in films and TV shows.

The Hulk is easily one of Marvel’s most iconic characters, so it is no wonder that there have been multiple interpretations. How many Hulk actors are there, though? That is what we are here to break down. Here is how many actors have played the Hulk in order!

Richard Kiel (1977)

Richard Kiel was the original actor cast to play the Hulk in the 1977 pilot of The Incredible Hulk television series but was replaced by Lou Ferrigno when it became apparent he was not “bulky” enough for the role.

Kiel shot for a week before being let go, and he can be briefly seen as the Hulk in the pilot episode. He was actually relieved to lose the role, as the contacts required for the part made him temporarily blind in one eye. 

Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno (1977-1982)

Audiences got their first-ever look at Hulk in live action during the 1977 ‘The Incredible Hulk’ TV show, just 15 years after his first comic book appearance. In the show, both Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno played the character.

This was before the times of CGI, so Bill Bixby was the actor who played Bruce Banner, and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno was painted green and played the role of the Hulk. The series lasted between 1977 and 1982, with two spin-off films after it had ended. The spin-off films were also one of the first times we had seen Hulk interact with other Marvel heroes like Daredevil and Thor.

Eric Bana (2003)

During the early 2000’s superhero movies were on the rise, we had ‘X-Men’ in 2000, ‘Spider-Man’ in 2002, then ‘Hulk’ in 2003. Eric Bana was cast as Bruce Banner, with the Hulk being created for the first time using CGI. Director Ang Lee did the motion capture for the monster, with Eric Bana supplying the voice.

The CGI was an impressive feat for the Hulk for the year it was released, but the film overall was met with very mixed reviews. There were discussions for a sequel, but it did not come to fruition, and we wouldn’t have our next Hulk film till 2008.

Edward Norton (2008)

Shortly after the financial and critical success, ‘Iron Man’ was released, audiences got their first look at the MCU’s take on the character, well, what it was supposed to be anyway. Edward Norton was cast as Bruce Banner, and Lou Ferrigno returned to lend his voice to the Hulk.

Unlike the 2003 film, the origin story was told in the film’s opening credits, and the film got straight to the point. However, while it was better than the last film, it was still met with mixed reviews and did not have the same impact as ‘Iron Man’ released earlier in the year.

Mark Ruffalo (2012 – present)

In 2012, the world finally saw the team-up of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in ‘The Avengers’. Due to creative differences, the role of Hulk was recast, with Mark Ruffalo taking over the role. Even though it was technically supposed to be the same version, Ruffalo’s take on the character was very different from what we saw in 2008.

Mark Ruffalo has played the Hulk throughout the entirety of the MCU, portraying both Bruce Banner and doing the motion capture and voice for the Hulk.

Who’s your favorite Hulk actor? Let us know in the comments!