The world of Marvel features many incredibly powerful characters, but both Hulk and Thor are near the very tippy-top of that list. The giant green monster and the God of Thunder have not only been able to defeat incredibly dangerous villains with ease, but they have also been proven to be able to withstand extreme conditions and forces. Because of this, fans have spent decades debating who would win in a fight, Hulk or Thor, but now we have Stan Lee's most recent take on the matter: Thor would win because ultimately he isn't a mortal man.
The co-creator of Marvel Comics was recently a guest on the YouTube channel Cat Country, where he was interviewed by 14-year-old KJ Ricci. Right out of the gate, the comic book legend was asked who would win in a fight between Thor and Hulk, and Lee gave a brief but emphatic answer:
I would have to say Thor, because as strong as Hulk is, he's still a mortal. Thor is one of the Norse gods!
Stan Lee makes an important point, and it's one that Team Thor fans have been making from the beginning. While it's true that the Hulk is incredibly dangerous and powerful when he is in his chaotic green mode, at the end of the day he is actually Bruce Banner -- a mild-mannered and mortal human being. Of course, Banner isn't totally helpless in his normal form, as he is a genius scientist, but when he's not in monster form, he's not really a match for Thor in one-on-one battle.
Important as Stan Lee's opinion is -- as he did co-create both Hulk and Thor with Jack Kirby -- the truth is that the debate of Hulk vs. Thor has no real answer. While Lee makes a strong point, there are plenty of arguments in the other direction as well. Team Hulk folks will note that the psychotic creature has no morality when he's highly-enraged, which would hold Thor back in a proper normal dual; and that Hulk only gets more powerful the angrier and further into battle he gets. There are so many elements in play that the typical back and forth about it is a rabbit hole conversation that ends up going nowhere.
You can listen to Stan Lee's comments on Hulk vs. Thor and more by clicking play on the video interview below.
Where do you stand on the Hulk vs. Thor debate? Hit the comments section below with your arguments in either direction, and get ready to see the two characters come together again (and possibly battle) in Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok - which will be in theaters on November 3, 2017.
