The incredible pop culture experiment that is The Marvel Cinematic Universe is something that is nothing short of a miracle achievement in cinema history that will be often imitated but most likely never repeated in the same way. But how could it? Somehow, Marvel found the perfect wave before paddling out and they’ve been riding for the past ten years -- and that wave doesn’t look like it’s going to break any time soon. But what makes the MCU so special isn’t just the quality of the films themselves (although that’s half the battle), it’s the family of heroes it has created.
The connections between some of Earth’s Mightiest will always be at the heart of this franchise. It’s only fitting that one such relationship we tend to obsess over is between the first two major characters appearing in this experiment: Iron Man and Hulk. While there has been an actor change with the latter, the fact is that once these two heroes finally met, it set the stage for how a cast of disparate heroes could find common ground on some level even if they don’t always see eye to eye. Tony and Bruce are science bros, through and through, and because of this, they are family.
20 TONY IT UP
Tony Stark doesn’t know when to quit. Whether it’s crafting an ever-expanding arsenal of Iron Man suits or deploying a network of fully armed drones to police the world, there isn’t really a line Stark won’t cross. His intelligence definitely leads him down so questionable paths that he often justifies by claiming to know what’s best for anyone who isn’t as smart as he is, which happens to be a lot of people.
It’s always great when someone of equal or greater intelligence calls Tony out of his megalomania god complex. This makes it impossible to combat them, try as he might. Bruce Banner, his science bro in arms, knows when Stark is going overboard and despite his mild-mannered persona, he’s quick to throwing in his face, especially when they feel they might “Tony” the whole thing up. That expression cuts deep.
19 GAME RECOGNIZES GAME
The Avengers was filled with tons of memorable one-liners from the vast cast of characters provided by the sharp tongue of screenwriter and director Joss Whedon. Whedon has a knack for giving the most sarcastic character the best line in a scene when he’s not providing more naturalist dialogue to flesh out often underused personality traits for more stoic heroes (Captain America’s “It seems to run on some kind of electricity” line comes to mind).
But very few actors get a change to chew such snarky dialogue in a Whedon script the way Robert Downey Jr. has as Tony Stark. Whedon seems to revel in Iron Man’s wry humor and dark conscious bubbling at the surface. The way the character charm and repel simultaneously is something that Whedon perfected in The Avengers. It’s a good think Banner seems to appreciate it to a certain degree. Game recognizes game, we suppose.
18 TRAGIC HEROES
Personal tragedy is in no short supply for the current roster of Avengers in the MCU. We can certainly empathize with Steve Rogers being from a foregone era, losing everyone and everything he has ever loved or known. The cruel turmoil of Natasha Romanoff’s youth is almost incomprehensible. And the tragedy of losing his home world will certainly weigh on the once and future king of Asgard, Thor Odinson.
Now we’re not trying to quantify tragedy, but the blight of Bruce Banner is pretty heavy as well. This is a man who has no control. Not just of his emotions and actions, but of the very means in which he may wish to exit this world. But the real irony is that his brilliance and his knack for pointing that uncontrollable rage in the right direction, makes him a hero. We just wish he could see that.
17 I GOT YOU, BRO
Bromances are pretty much always adorable, and the relationship between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner is no different. When they first meet in The Avengers their admiration for one another is established quickly and realistically. Tony sees Bruce as a peer and not just as some green rage monster, even though he does acknowledge that aspect of him.
The respect is reciprocated when Bruce sees Tony is more than a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist who gets his kicks from flying around in a skin tight wearable version of a fighter jet. Tony is truly a genius with a mind that works in circles just like Bruce’s. Even as the Hulk, Bruce Banner shows his science bro some love during the "Battle of New York" when he catches Tony after falling from the inter-dimensional wormhole. That’s love, bro.
16 YOU'RE MY BRO, BRO
It was love at first geek out. Despite their potentially combative personality traits, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are two men cut from the same cloth. They are men of science…and they are bros, at least as far as the Internet is concerned. Some of the best personal moments of The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron come from Banner and Stark’s interactions.
Even moments subtle as a minor back and forth between them to confirm Banner’s lab was free game for world-renowned geneticist Helen Cho to use in Age of Ultron. It’s their shorthand and even more so their longhand manner of speaking that really drives home the point that they are kindred spirits. Also, diving in to catch Iron Man from plummeting to his death is a great way of showing some love.
15 NEVER NOT FUNNY
The dynamic between the stooge and the straight man in a comedy duo is something that cannot be forced. It’s a naturalistic relationship that develops either through hours of practice and recursion, but sometimes blossoms from the interferences of outside forces. A third party, who would almost better be suited in the aforementioned comedy duo can spice things up by simply being there and demanding things to be taken seriously.
Killjoy Steve Rogers is one of these outside forces. While Captain America is noble and a fantastic role model, his comedy chops are not up to snuff. Both Bruce Banner, who is often the straight man here, and Tony Stark, the resident stooge in this scenario, can see that Rogers is a huge wet blanket when it comes to their good time, even if that good time is in bad taste.
14 EPIC FIST BUMP
“C’mon, Banner, work with me here,” is the plea uttered by Tony Stark as he tries to subdue a crazed Hulk after being influenced by Scarlet Witch’s reality warping abilities. Tony suits up in a massive armor set (Mark XLIV, to be exact) known as “the Hulkbuster” and bust Hulks it certainly does.
The battle between these two friends levels a good portion of downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. During the fight, Tony unleashes every single weapon his Hulkbuster armor has to offer against a seemingly impenetrable monster. The scene is quite amazing, becoming a literal representation of brains versus brawn. The frame referenced here is often cited as the most epic fist bump in cinema history. It’s a fist bump so powerful, it shatters glass and cracks pavement. And it also acts as a nice free frame of irony.
13 CARPOOL
There is something inherently funny about Bruce Banner carpooling with Tony Stark. Stark’s flashy playboy persona seem to exude through his choices of lavish, luxury automobiles, which exist only as a means of flaunting affluence. This stands in stark contrast with the means of transportation Banner has been seen utilizing, which at their very best have been simply utilitarian. Banner’s choice of transport makes the idea of Bruce Banner driving in gridlocked New York traffic hilarious. He’s the last guy you’d want to have a case of road rage.
Tony giving Banner a lift to presumably do “science stuff” makes their relationship even more adorable. It makes us wonder if Banner is a horrible backseat driver or does he just sit down and zip it while one of the more reckless men in the world drives a car worth more than most people’s homes.
12 THE DUOS
Every actor portraying a superhero (or supervillain) in the MCU is of substantial caliber. Several of them are Academy Award-winners and even more have at least been nominated. Marvel Studios doesn’t pull a lot of untested actors to portray their iconic pantheon… at least for the most part. Sometimes we get actors who seem to have stepped into their roles from another world.
Guys like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth occupied their respective roles of Captain America and Thor with ease despite either having little exposure or negative exposure (*cough-Fantastic Four-cough*) prior. On the flipside, actors like Scarlett Johanasson and Jeremy Renner have been working actors with a solid body of work under their belts long before coming into the MCU. And there’s Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. who are just a special kind of duo, veteran actors who found new life as science bros.
11 WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
Yeah, a lot of us didn’t get that joke, but then again, a lot of us are not scientists (or people who paid attention in middle school) who would recognize the visual representation of H2O. Now we got it eventually by using context clues, so don’t think of us as being too dumb.
The expressions on Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo’s faces are priceless. While this little juxtaposition of images is simply commenting on the bad science pun, it also speaks to the characters these actors play in the MCU. They are often seen outsiders to many of the other members of The Avengers due to their vast knowledge and understating of various scientific fields. They are more than just hype me for cool armor and invincible green skin. They know stuff.
10 SPOILER BROS
Tom Holland is charming both on screen and off, but the kid has quite a knack for letting things slip when it comes to the super-secret production of Marvel films. Now, to be fair, our spoiler culture has gotten a little out of hand to the point where even mentioning vague plot details are considered spoilers, so we can’t fault Holland too much.
We do wish that he’d be a bit more like Robert Downey Jr. When he’s asked if there will be another Iron Man film, he’s often flippant about the answer or he says something cheeky to throw everyone off. But the fact remains that even if every actor in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War went into detail about scenes in the film, it wouldn’t stop it from making literally all the money.
9 MURDER BOT? NOT COOL, GUYS
Out of all of Tony Stark’s transgressions, the one with the most devastating impact is probably the creation of the titular villain in the film Avengers: Age of Ultron. The birth of what Bruce Banner refers to as a “murder bot,” is a prime example of Tony developing a Doctor Frankenstein complex. While his heart was in the right place and his methods were coming from a place of altruism, the fact remains that he (with the help of Bruce Banner) created a nihilistic monster.
Ultron is a creation of malice by way of dark extinction logic. He’s part Thomas Ligotti, part Friedrich Nietzsche, and all Tony Stark (he really does take after his father). Even when Bruce seems the folly of his contribution to giving rise to Ultron, Tony tries to circumvent the blame. Typical.
8 ACTING BRO DADS
Who wouldn’t want these two for dads? One is the coolest movie star in the entire world and the other is Mark Ruffalo. But seriously, both of these fine actors seem like great guys who share fantastic on-screen chemistry. Their bromance, while not well documented in the MCU films, is kind of legendary.
When Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. get in the same room together, it’s pretty obvious that the comradery they share in the films bleeds into real life. This friendship, or at the very least ability to riff off one another, really makes their character iterations in The Avengers and Age of Ultron shine. Some on-screen friendships may seem forced or even nonexistent, but not here. These guys are more than just science bros; they’re acting bros, too.
7 DAMAGED GOODS
Calling Iron Man and Hulk tortured heroes is a bit of an understatement. These are two characters who have made huge mistakes and have paid dire consequences (although Tony Stark seems to skate by a bit more than Bruce Banner). Stark has been a proprietor of war by proxy, suffered PTSD after seeing a world beyond his own like a character in an H.P. Lovecraft story, and accidently created a murderous artificial intelligence that got one of his teammates killed.
Bruce Banner on the other hand, suffered exile after an experiment left him unable to control “the other guy,” and puts pretty much anyone near him in danger. Still, these two men are heroes. They’ve saved the world on multiple occasions and will do so again. They really are a damaged pair.
6 ALWAYS BROS
Behind the scenes photos of the MCU are always hilarious. Whether it’s an image of Mark Ruffalo in a giant green screen motion capture contraption or James Spader walking around with a pair of glowing red balls three feet above his head, seeing how the proverbial sausage is made is a delight.
But as amusing as seeing moments that would be quite embarrassing taken out context happens to be, a lot of the more candid photos from behind the scenes only feed into the notion that these actors are a family unit when the camera isn’t rolling. It doesn’t matter if they’re science bros or magic bros. The fact that they are bros at all means the world to fan around the globe no matter how silly they may look compared to how they do on screen.
5 OVER HIS HEAD
Look, Steve Rogers is no dummy. Stubborn at times? Sure. But not dumb. The man is a great tactician and is the heart of The Avengers even if he isn’t the physically strongest or even the smartest one in the room, but he doesn’t need to be. He’s the bravest and the most forthright in his values even if they may seem antiquated to some of his teammates.
However, there is something mildly satisfying to seeing something fly right over Captain America’s perfectly coiffed head. The same could be said for anyone busting Tony Stark’s chops from time to time as well. But this moment of Bruce Banner and Tony Stark science broing it up around Steve Rogers really reminds us of two things: Rogers is a man out of step with the world, and the schism between him and Stark will only widen.
4 WAKE UP!
Sometimes the best acting comes from the actor actually being frightened or shocked by a situation. We don’t know how much validity there is to Mark Ruffalo’s story about actually startling Robert Downey Jr. in The Avengers, but it’s great nonetheless. We put our money on it being absolutely true. The look on Iron Man’s face in that scene where the Hulk yells him back into consciousness is too realistic to be a thespian decision.
This moment really ranks with the scene from Guardians of the Galaxy where Zoe Saldana’s Gamora kicks Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord in the ribs. Pratt has said that Saldana did quite a number on him by not pulling her blows. The footage from behind the scenes backs this up, if Pratt’s shocked yelp is any indication. Luckily, the worst thing the Downey and Ruffalo moment could have resulted in was some soiled underwear.
3 JUDGMENTAL MUCH?
Tony Stark is judging everyone around him pretty much all the time, even if he has the utmost respect for them. It’s in his nature. He is logical to a flaw, which makes his brand of snarky, irreverent humor stark (pun intended) in contrast. While this character trait would be absolutely repulsive to many, somehow, Stark has charmed the world (or at least, most of it).
Bruce Banner, on the other hand, is far more low-key. He’s meek by comparison, which is also ironic seeing as how he rages out into a massive, green monster when he gets stressed or angry. Now, Banner doesn’t necessarily seem to be the judgmental type, but when he’s with Stark, who acts as somewhat of a hype man for him, that know-it-all mentality rubs off on him.
2 OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Disparate personalities often make for the best on-screen friendships. Robert Downey Jr. has quite a reputation. Before falling back in good graces with Hollywood, he’d spent the better part of a decade in and out of incarceration and rehabilitation clinic. Thankfully, RDJ was pulled back from the brink and his talents and commitment were rewarded properly. Now, Downey is seen as a sly, charismatic jokester with a biting sense of humor that is echoed in his performance as Tony Stark.
Bruce Banner/Hulk actor, Mark Ruffalo is often seen as a man of great sincerity and purpose. He’s a man who stands by his principles and those principles are no laughing matter. This isn’t to say Ruffalo is without humor (nor is to say that Downey is flippant). In fact, when he and Robert Downey Jr. are in an interview together, you can see their comedy chemistry at work.
1 SIBLING RIVALRY
If you have siblings, you know the deal. When the parents are around, you put on your game face. You obey and try really, really hard not to fight. But when they’re gone, the hierarchy within siblings takes hold and at times there is a power struggle. Perhaps the younger sibling sees the tyranny of his elder and wishes to overthrow them. Maybe it is their turn on the PlayStation.
Fights break out even among the closets of siblings, just like they occur between the closest of surrogate brothers and sisters. In fact, the tussle between Hulk and Iron Man in Avengers: Age of Ultron could be seen as the greatest sibling battles ever seen on film. It’s prodigal son vs prodigal son due to a huge misunderstanding…and some mind-meddling.