If you walk up to a random person on the street and ask them the name of the guy who turns into the Hulk, most will say Bruce Banner. It’s common knowledge. But for a huge chunk of fans who grew up in the late '70s and early '80s, that answer feels slightly wrong. For them, it’s David Banner.
He’s the somber, hitchhiking physician played by Bill Bixby. He’s the guy who just wanted to be left alone. So, where does the "David" come from, and is David Banner Marvel Comics canon or just a weird TV glitch? Honestly, the answer is a messy mix of network politics, accidental typos, and some very modern comic book tributes.
The Name Change That Annoyed Stan Lee
When CBS brought The Incredible Hulk to television in 1977, the show’s creator, Kenneth Johnson, made a choice that baffled comic purists. He ditched "Bruce."
Johnson has gone on record several times explaining that he wanted to distance the show from its "comic booky" roots. He hated alliteration. In the Marvel universe, names like Peter Parker, Reed Richards, and Stephen Strange were the norm because they were easy to remember. Johnson felt that "Bruce Banner" sounded too much like a cartoon character for the adult, Shakespearean drama he was trying to film.
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He renamed the character David Bruce Banner. In the show, he goes by David, but if you look closely at the tombstone in the series' iconic intro, you can clearly see the name "Bruce" tucked in the middle.
The "Too Gay" Controversy
There is a much more infamous story about this name change, though. Both Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno—the man who actually played the Hulk—claimed for years that CBS executives thought "Bruce" sounded "too gay."
It sounds ridiculous now. In the late 1970s, however, network executives were apparently terrified that a name could carry a certain "connotation." While Kenneth Johnson has always denied this was the primary reason, the story has become a permanent piece of Hulk lore. Whatever the truth, the result was the same: for five seasons, the most famous version of the character on Earth wasn't Bruce. He was David.
Did David Banner Ever Appear in the Comics?
For decades, the answer was basically "no." In the main Marvel continuity, known as Earth-616, the character is Robert Bruce Banner.
Wait, Robert?
Yeah. Back in the early days of the The Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four comics, Stan Lee actually forgot the character's name and started calling him "Bob Banner." Instead of admitting he made a mistake, Lee later "fixed" it by claiming the character’s full name was Robert Bruce Banner. He just preferred his middle name.
The Modern Retcon
Things changed recently. In the 2024 comic Infernal Hulk #2, Marvel finally gave a massive nod to the TV show fans.
The story follows Bruce Banner after his gamma powers have been stripped away. He’s living a quiet, low-profile life in Indiana, trying to hide from the world. The name he uses to stay under the radar? David.
It’s a perfect full-circle moment. By using the alias David, the comics finally acknowledged the 1978 TV series as part of the broader Hulk identity. He isn't a different person; "David" is the name Banner uses when he’s trying to be a "lonely man" on the run.
David Banner vs. Bruce Banner: Key Differences
While they are technically the same guy in spirit, the David Banner Marvel Comics history and the TV version have some pretty sharp differences that go beyond just a first name.
- The Origin: Comic Bruce was caught in a gamma bomb blast while saving a teenager named Rick Jones. TV David was a widower obsessed with why some people have "hysterical strength" in emergencies. He dosed himself in a lab after failing to save his wife in a car accident.
- The Power Level: Comic Hulk is a god-tier threat. He can jump into orbit and crack planets. TV Hulk was much more grounded. He could flip a car or smash through a brick wall, but a heavy-duty door could actually hold him for a minute.
- The Vocabulary: In the comics, the Hulk eventually learned to talk (mostly in the third person). The David Banner version never spoke a word. He just growled and grunted, emphasizing the tragedy of a man losing his humanity.
Why the Name "David" Keeps Coming Back
Even though the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) stuck firmly with Bruce, the shadow of David Banner looms large. In the 2003 Hulk movie directed by Ang Lee, Bruce’s father is named David Banner (played by Nick Nolte). This was a deliberate Easter egg meant to honor the Bixby era while keeping the main character’s comic name intact.
Then you have the 2008 The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton. If you look at the mailing label on the package Bruce receives at the bottling plant, it’s addressed to "David B." It’s a tiny detail, but it shows that Marvel knows exactly how much that name means to a specific generation of fans.
What You Should Know Moving Forward
If you're a new fan trying to keep the timeline straight, don't sweat the naming conventions too much. Basically, just remember these three things:
- Robert Bruce Banner is the official legal name in the comics.
- David Banner is the specific version from the 1970s TV show.
- David is now an established alias that Bruce uses in the comics when he wants to disappear.
If you want to experience the "David" era yourself, the original 1977 pilot movie is still the best place to start. It feels less like a superhero movie and more like a moody, 70s psychological thriller. You'll quickly see why Kenneth Johnson fought so hard to change the name—he wanted you to feel the man's pain before you ever saw the monster's muscles.
Check out the "World War Hulk: Gamma Files" or the recent "Infernal Hulk" run if you want to see how Marvel continues to weave these television references into the modern pages. It’s a great time to be a Hulk fan, regardless of which first name you prefer.