It's been a good time to be a comic book fan. In recent years, superhero movies have earned a respectable place in cinema. We've had movies like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Spider-man, Spider-man 2 and the list goes on. One of the gems of superhero movies has to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
For the first time ever, we were able to see some of our favorite superheroes live and breath in one world. A shared universe is something I always wanted to see. So you can imagine how badly I want to see Batman and Superman in the upcoming movie starring Ben Affleck (who I insist will be an awesome Batman).
So far, Marvel Studios have yet to have a truly terrible movie. Sure, they've released a few disappointments (Iron Man 2 and 3) but they've never made me lose hope in their ability to churn out good movies. So after establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with by successfully pulling off the avengers, it's now time to face the next challenge. The Avengers 2: Age Of Ultron. However, as much as I am anticipating the sequel, I have one big worry.
WHAT SIDE OF BRUCE BANNER WILL WE SEE? .
Now before you guys start sharpening your knives let me say that I loved Mark Ruffalo's performance as much as I loved Edward Norton's. I think he was the best thing in the Avengers by far and I can't wait to see him again. But here's the thing... What part of Banner will we be seeing? In the Avengers, Bruce Banner's personality was zen-like and laid back which wasn't out of place because as much as I like Loki, he and his weak army were hardly threatening so Bruce walking in the middle of an alien invasion and calmly saying 'Well this all looks... horrible.' But something tells me that Ultron is going to be a real terror in Avengers 2, which makes me think that Bruce will be more serious than before. But that's the problem. For some odd reason, "fans" don't like to see Bruce Banner brooding, sad or pathetic which is weird since Bruce Banner is usually portrayed as one of, if not THE most miserable characters in marvel comics. We are talking about the same Bruce Banner who usually weeps all by himself after a hulk-out and rightfully so. In both the comics and MCU, it has been stated that the Hulk is responsible for a number of deaths;with some including innocent people. That must put a lot of guilt on Banner's shoulders. The mere thought of hurting somebody kills Bruce inside every single moment of every single day.
I've also heard a few people complain that he was portrayed in his solo movies as a p****. While I understand some fans distaste of Nolan's batman being a little too vulnerable or emotionally compromised at times, I think 'sad' and 'pathetic' are some of the staples of Banner's character. I for one will warmly welcome back this Bruce since it is the Bruce Banner I grew up with. When I was little, the only time I saw Bruce Banner, was when he would appear as a guest on a animated T.V show like 'Iron-Man' or animated movie like 'Hulk vs Wolverine' and for some reason, I found him a little annoying since he was whining all the time. But I soon came to realize why he was like that. I understood his grief and therefore, sympathized with him. I understood why in movies like 'The Incredible Hulk' Bruce Banner begged his enemies to stay away by saying, "You don't understand something really bad is about to happen here!"
Just because some find his sobbing and mopping annoying doesn't mean the actors are not portraying them right. One day, I read Kevin Fiege state that their main goal was to 'make Hulk fun again' and other people state, 'They finally made being the hulk fun.' But I don't think that is the way it is supposed to be because the life of Bruce Banner isn't "fun". I mean, we all love seeing the hulk smash things and kick ass but when it comes to Bruce Banner, the pure heart wrenching tragedy must remain.
Please remember that I am not bashing on Ruffalo in any way. The guy is awesome. He is a wonderful Bruce Banner. Is he the best? Well... when it comes to Bruce Banner I will love all portrayals. I simply believe the zen-like behavior was right for the circumstances he was in for THAT MOVIE. I just don't want him to remain like that should things get extremely intense and difficult around him. Like I've said a hundred times before, Bruce Banner has the traits of a real person. He constantly changes depending on his situation. Tony Stark practically stays the same throughout movies. He may be a little more responsible (excluding giving "The Mandarin" *ugh* his address). Both Eric Bana and Edward Norton have come under fire for being 'boring' (whatever that means) and I'd hate to see Mark Ruffalo being caught under the same fire for simply staying true to the character. Each Hulk was influenced by a certain emotion. Eric Bana's was psychotic rage, while Edward Norton's was fueled by caged frustration (from not finding a cure and other factors) while Mark Ruffalo's Hulk-out was led by some sort of irritation or annoyance for being dragged back into the world of danger.
Mark Ruffalo isn't my worry. It is the audience.
I believe that if world saw the return of the miserable and pathetic Bruce Banner from the comics, they would reject him. I am CONVINCED... that the world isn't ready. What do you think?