Warning: This article contains a discussion of depression and suicide.
In the early stages of the MCU, the Hulk’s biggest obstacle is his own mental health, and the Avengers completely ignore him whenever he arises. In his only solo film, before Marvel Studios released all of his own films, Bruce Banner was isolated in Brazil, trying his best to work on his mental health before learning to control the Hulk to a reasonable degree. He even worked with a specialist who helped him focus on his breathing at the beginning of the film. To help him control his fights as the Hulk, Banner also wears a heart rate monitor so he knows when to calm down before turning into a chaotic green monster. By the end of the film, Banner learns to accept the Hulk and begins to view him as an asset, even if he cannot fully control his mind.
The next time Marvel viewers will see Bruce Banner during the first Avengers movie, where he is alone again in another country, this time more than a year has passed since his last incident as the Hulk. SHIELD. sends Natasha Romanoff to recruit him as part of a mission that, as described, needs Bruce Banner. However, by the end of the film, it becomes clear that Nick Fury wanted the Hulk. And this is despite the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. knowing that Banner spent years of his life actively fighting against becoming a Hulk, working on himself through meditation, yoga and a low-stress environment.
All the mental health issues Bruce Banner may have faced don’t seem to matter at all to Fury as he snatches him out of his hideout so he can help fight the looming alien threat. In fact, throughout the MCU, the Avengers usually need the Hulk, not Bruce Banner, so it’s actually part of their relationship that they use Banner because of what he considers his worst trait. Banner, as a character, always cares about his mental health, because his “superpower” is the collapse of this job. Especially in his early years with the Avengers, it somehow became clear that Banner had to live a life of losing control. He is expected to face the strain that comes with relapses in life, normalizing the mental health failures that Banner must experience every time he becomes the Hulk.
The MCU has never allowed the Hulk to find peace
Bruce Banner shows signs of suicidal depression throughout his appearance in the MCU. He isolates himself from people, which can be a proven sign of depression, and he is forced to live his life between episodes of poor mental health. He even said in front of the other Avengers that he once tried to commit suicide, but this “other guy” just spat out a bullet, demonstrating that he can’t escape his Hulk fate; it holds him and he can’t shake it. Banner’s admission of his suicide attempt should have caused concern to everyone who cares about him, but no one ever tries to help him or ask him if he ever wants to be the Hulk again. They just keep using it.
Bruce Banner was treated unfairly as a person with signs of suicidal depression, and he showed no empathy because of how much other characters want to use him because of his ability to transform into the Hulk. Banner never got a movie of his own, partly because the rights to the character still belong to Universal, so it’s not surprising that he wasn’t treated fairly and didn’t give him the proper amount of time and dedication to help someone in his condition. . Hulk’s mental health is shown, but he is never taken care of in the films he stars in, even by people who call him a friend. The darkest sides of his character remain behind the scenes, and this does a disservice to Bruce Banner, the Avengers as a team and the audience.
