The Marvel Cinematic Universe has offered countless memorable lines from its many heroes, but Bruce Banner and the Hulk often get overlooked. While Hulk is known for smashing, Banner’s intelligence and quiet vulnerability often hide some truly profound or hilarious moments. Throughout the MCU timeline, both sides of his personality have dropped some offered some truly underrated dialogue.

Several Hulk quotations reveal deep emotional struggles, sharp humor, or relatable frustrations. Whether it’s sarcastic banter, raw confessions about mental health, or subtle digs at his fellow Avengers, Hulk’s quotes deserve far more recognition than they get. These underrated gems show the range of the character, proving he’s more than just a rage monster.

“Broke Up? Like A Band? Like The Beatles?”

This moment in Avengers: Infinity War captures Bruce Banner’s charming awkwardness perfectly. After returning to Earth from Sakaar and learning about the Avengers’ disbandment, Banner is confused when Tony Stark mentions the team having “broken up.” Banner’s innocent follow-up (“Like a band? Like the Beatles?”) lands as a brilliantly human moment amidst the chaos of Thanos’s unfolding schemes.

Banner has been out of the loop for years. He missed all of Captain America: Civil War’s fallout while trapped as Hulk. The humor here also underscores Banner’s social discomfort.

Hulk doesn’t quite fit into the Avengers’ personal drama the way Tony or Steve do. The Beatles reference is unexpected and gives Banner a sense of personality outside of science and smashing. It offered a glimpse of his awkward humor in a moment of serious stakes.

“Spandex Is Your Best Friend.”

In the premiere episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Smart Hulk gives Jennifer Walters some blunt but practical superhero advice. After asking her who her best friend is, Hulk interrupts and declares: “Spandex is your best friend.” It’s a funny, lighthearted moment that acknowledges a very real logistical issue in Hulk’s life.

Hulk famously rips through his clothing during transformations. How he manages this (while retaining his shorts) is often quietly debated among audiences. Referencing this directly is a fun way to address an infamous Hulk feature.

Beyond the laugh, the She-Hulk quote encapsulates Bruce’s newfound ease with his condition. Once tortured by the Hulk side of himself, Bruce now approaches it with casual practicality, even playfulness. It’s also a neat bit of world-building, as it shows Bruce pᴀssing down knowledge to a new gamma-powered hero.

“For Years I’ve Been Treating The Hulk Like He’s Some Kind Of Disease. Something To Get Rid Of. But Then I Started Looking At Him As The Cure.”

This quietly profound line from Avengers: Endgame explains Bruce Banner’s full transformation into Smart Hulk. When the Avengers begin to reᴀssemble, they visit Hulk in a diner. Here he explains how he merged his personality with Hulk to create Smart Hulk.

It’s a culmination of a decade-long arc of self-loathing, resistance, and finally acceptance. Banner spent years viewing the Hulk as a dangerous affliction, a problem to fix. However, after merging their two idenтιтies, he reframes the Hulk as something that saved him instead of something that destroyed him.

This quote reveals Bruce’s growth after his tumultuous journey throughout the MCU. It’s one of the rare instances where Bruce speaks about Hulk without shame, fear, or regret. The line quietly resonates with anyone who has struggled with self-acceptance.

“I Don’t Have The…Temperament”

Although a brief post-credits cameo, Bruce Banner’s appearance in Iron Man 3 offers a sharp bit of understated humor. As Tony Stark finishes recounting his PTSD-fueled story, he realizes Bruce hasn’t been listening. After Tony makes a sarcastic quip, Bruce dryly explains that he’s not that kind of doctor, noting, “I don’t have the… temperament.”

This moment works on two levels. Firstly, it pokes fun at Bruce’s reputation as the uncontrollable, rage-driven Hulk. It also highlights his calmer, understated Banner side. The delivery is low-key yet hilarious, made even funnier by Tony’s frustration.

It’s easy to miss this moment since it’s tucked away after the credits. However, it’s one of Banner’s wittiest one-liners in the entire MCU. It proves that even when he’s not smashing, Bruce has impeccable comedic abilities.

“I Could Choke The Life Out Of You Without Changing A Shade.”

This line from Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of the few moments where Bruce Banner shows his darker side. Wanda Maximoff meets with the Avengers hoping to ally with them after fighting against them, including unleashing an out-of-control Hulk on Johannesburg.

Still angry, Banner warns, “I could choke the life out of you without changing a shade.” The typically calm and measured Bruce Banner was pushed to his limits, forced to live out his biggest nightmare: Hulk rampaging beyond his control. Now, Banner himself is ruled by his emotions.

Banner is “so beyond” angry, that he retains control over himself, rather than succumbing to Hulk. It’s a surprisingly poetic way to convey how deeply affecting Wanda’s actions were on the heroes. It also serves as a poetic counterpart to Hulk’s most famous line in the MCU – “I’m always angry.”

“I Got Low. I Didn’t See An End, So I Put A Bullet In My Mouth And The Other Guy Spit It Out.”

In The Avengers, Bruce Banner reveals the darkest moment of his life: an attempted suicide. When learning of SHIELD’s precautions in case of a Hulk rampage, Banner comments on the futility, noting that Hulk cannot be killed. “I got low. I didn’t see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out,” he explained.

Banner’s line is delivered with quiet resignation, showing the profound despair Banner once felt. It’s one of the MCU’s most haunting confessions, tucked into a blockbuster film otherwise full of spectacle. This quote gives vital insight into Bruce’s mental state.

The Avengers team pauses at this revelation, treating it with a rare gravity. This moment stands out because it gives Bruce depth and tragedy beyond the usual “angry green monster” archetype. It highlights how much pain he had to survive to reach eventual acceptance.

“I Don’t Want To Fight Your Sister. That’s A Family Issue.”

This witty quip from Thor: Ragnarok shows off Bruce’s understated humor. After reverting to his human form, Bruce talks with Thor, who tries to recruit him into the fight against Hela. Hulk simply replies, “I don’t want to fight your sister. That’s a family issue.”

It’s another prime example of Bruce’ shambolic charm. Concerned that transforming into the Hulk again could be permanent, Bruce refuses to enter any battle as the Hulk. Yet before he reminds Thor of this, he first dismisses it as a “family issue.”

This dismissive reduction is out of character for the thoughtful scientist. It reflects his bewilderment and confusion regarding his surroundings. It’s Bruce Banner at his most humorously flustered, before his rationally thinking mind could kick in.

“In The Past, I Always Felt Like Hulk And I Each Had A Hand On The Wheel, But This Time It’s Like He Had The Keys And I Was Locked In The Trunk.”

This confession from Bruce Banner in Thor: Ragnarok brilliantly summarizes his fractured psyche. After spending two years stuck as Hulk on Sakaar, Bruce describes the experience to Thor. He explains “In the past, I always felt like Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel, but this time it’s like he had the keys and I was locked in the trunk.”

It’s a vivid metaphor that reveals just how terrifying it is for Bruce when he loses control. This line reframes the perspective of Hulk’s transformations as something horrifying from Bruce’s perspective. It’s also crucial because it sets up his fear of transforming again.

Bruce fears that if he becomes the Hulk again, he might never come back. It’s a raw look at Bruce’s inner turmoil. Moreover, it’s delivered with a quiet vulnerability that makes it one of his most overlooked lines.

“How Many PhDs Does Hulk Have? Zero. How Many PhDs Does Banner Have? Seven.”

During the same conversation with Thor in Ragnarok, Banner delivers another understated yet hilarious line. While ᴀssembling his superhero team against Hela, Thor inelligantly suggests that Hulk might be the more effective fighter. Bruce, offended by this remark, respnds with “How many PhDs does Hulk have? Zero. How many PhDs does Banner have? Seven.”

It’s a perfect encapsulation of Bruce’s frustration about being overshadowed by the Hulk persona. Even though Hulk is celebrated as a gladiator on Sakaar, Bruce reminds everyone that he’s the brilliant mind. It’s compelling to see Bruce ᴀssert his value so openly, and the irritation in his voice makes it even funnier.

This line in Ragnarok also underscores the duality of his existence. One side is brains, the other brawn, and the world usually only applauds the brawn. It’s a hilariously insecure yet relatable moment, showing Bruce’s need to be seen as more than just Hulk’s weaker half.

“Oh, Screw You, You Big Green ᴀsshole! I’ll Do It Myself!”

In Avengers: Infinity War, Banner’s hilarious outburst perfectly captures his frustration with Hulk refusing to come out during the battle of Wakanda. Piloting the Hulkbuster Armor, Bruce faces off against the formidable Cull Obsidian. After desperately trying to transform and failing, he snarls, “Oh, screw you, you big green ᴀsshole! I’ll do it myself!”

It’s a comedic reversal of their usual dynamic. Bruce Banner finally stands up to Hulk rather than fearing him. It humanizes Banner’s struggle with his alter ego, like an argument with a stubborn roommate in the middle of an apocalypse.

It’s also one of the few times Banner fights without Hulk’s help, serving as a kind of rallying cry heralding Bruce’s own physical prowess. Not to mention his exasperation makes the phrase “big green ᴀsshole” all the more humorous. It quickly became a fan-favorite comedic beat that still often gets overlooked in discussions of the Hulk’s best quotes.