The Hulk‘s story within the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unfortunately stuffed with missed alternatives, and Bruce Banner’s place within the franchise can be higher if a few of these had labored. The Hulk was first performed by Edward Norton within the MCU, although a lot of the Hulk’s MCU timeline comes from Mark Ruffalo’s tackle the character, which began in The Avengers.
Since then, the Hulk has been featured in among the MCU’s best movies. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that the character’s arc has at all times been as much as par with the extent of the initiatives he appeared in. Marvel Studios might have performed extra with the Hulk. Earlier than he returns in Marvel’s next Spider-Man movie, a have a look at all of the Hulk’s missed alternatives is warranted.
10
The Hulk’s Introduction Of Skaar
To at the present time, I nonetheless cannot imagine how the MCU launched one of many greatest adjustments to the Hulk’s MCU story prefer it was nothing. Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner performed a key function in She-Hulk: Legal professional at Regulation, being answerable for Jennifer Walters’ super-powered alter ego and coaching her to grasp her powers.
After the character went to house on a Sakaaran ship for an unknown motive, the She-Hulk season finale revealed that the MCU hero has a son, Skaar. Apart from the truth that he comes from Sakaar and is a Hulk, nothing else has been revealed about Skaar since his debut. The reveal deserved an even bigger platform and undoubtedly extra focus.
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The MCU’s Good Hulk Story
There are totally different sides to the MCU’s Good Hulk reveal. On the one hand, it is sensible as to what the franchise had been constructing the Hulk’s story as much as. After years of his two sides clashing, Hulk and Banner unite as one, with the muscle tissues and brains of every one fused as Good Hulk.
Whereas the reveal was enjoyable and made for a recent Hulk expertise in live-action, it might have been performed higher. Because it stands, the Hulk merely went from not exhibiting up in Avengers: Infinity Conflict to Good Hulk the following time he was seen. By having that key transformation occur off-screen, numerous doable emotional fallout was misplaced.
8
Combating The Pink Hulk
It is unnecessary that the Hulk was not in Captain America: Courageous New World. Whereas the movie stars Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, Hulk villains and supporting characters are essential to the story. Nonetheless, the Hulk doesn’t present up for some motive. Provided that the Hulk is in Spider-Man: Model New Day, Marvel dropped the ball.
Had Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk appeared within the Captain America film, audiences would have been handled to a live-action Hulk vs Pink Hulk struggle. I do not see Harrison Ford sticking round within the MCU for a few years, so having Pink Hulk’s debut embrace the long-awaited struggle between the 2 Hulks in live-action would have secured that key storyline.
7
A Hulk Film Sequel
Whereas the checklist will not be so as, the truth that the Hulk nonetheless has no film sequels within the MCU will at all times be the franchise’s greatest missed alternative on the subject of the character. Sure, I perceive there are film rights points, which have seemingly made the state of affairs too sophisticated for Marvel to provide a brand new Hulk film.
Nonetheless, given how the studio was capable of work out a number of offers with Sony for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to star in 4 MCU solo motion pictures to date, it’s doable there could be a method ahead for The Unbelievable Hulk 2. Rumors a few World War Hulk movie have come and gone, so hopefully, there’s some reality to them.
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A Full-On Planet Hulk Story
With The Unbelievable Hulk being the Marvel hero’s solely solo film within the MCU to date, the studio has needed to plan the Hulk’s arcs to play out throughout totally different motion pictures. Thor: Ragnarok is likely one of the greatest MCU movies for the Hulk, because it tackles vital development for the character with a significant Hulk comedian e-book story as inspiration.
That may be Planet Hulk. The Hulk storyline from Marvel Comics has some key variations and similarities to the Thor film, however it’s evident that the movie, which doesn’t characteristic the Hulk as its foremost character, couldn’t utterly dive into the thrilling supply materials. The darker tone of the Sci-Fi story was misplaced.
5
Extra Bruce Banner Transformations Into The Hulk
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It’s surprising that we even have to debate this as a missed alternative. In spite of everything, we have now seen a number of Iron Man suit-up scenes all through the MCU, so why cannot the identical occur on the subject of Bruce Banner reworking into the Hulk? The final time {that a} Hulk transformation occurred onscreen was in 2012’s The Avengers.
Since then, Banner may need began to rework onscreen, however the full factor at all times occurs offscreen. Captain America: Courageous New World is the MCU film to return the closest to that, however it was for Harrison Ford’s Pink Hulk, not Ruffalo’s Hulk. The MCU’s upcoming motion pictures might lastly make that occur, which might be an efficient change to Hulk’s visuals.
4
The Good Conclusion To Hulk Being Afraid
This one is related to the Good Hulk arc that has grow to be controversial. That storyline is commonly criticized because of how the merger of Banner’s two personas occurred off-screen. Nonetheless, the MCU’s authentic Good Hulk plan was totally different, and it modified because of check audiences not having fun with the way it performed out.
The Hulk shedding to Thanos and being afraid to return out was the character’s foremost storyline in Avengers: Infinity Conflict. Banner then used the Hulkbuster armor within the Battle of Wakanda. Initially, the Hulk would have burst out of the go well with to guard Banner as they each merged. I really feel that was a extra epic solution to arrive at Good Hulk.
3
Hulk’s Rematch With Thanos
Talking concerning the final couple of Avengers motion pictures, the Hulk had an vital arc that might have led to him taking part in an even bigger function in Avengers: Endgame. One of many MCU’s most surprising moments is how Thanos defeated the Hulk so simply with out even needing the Infinity Stones to do it. That showcased his energy.
Avengers: Endgame was then set as much as present the right alternative for the Hulk to get a rematch towards Thanos. Nonetheless, the characters by no means have that awaited struggle within the movie. As a substitute, different MCU heroes, comparable to Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and extra, get to struggle Thanos straight. The Hulk deserved his rematch.
2
Resolving The Betty Ross & Abomination Storylines
As a consequence of how Mark Ruffalo didn’t play the title function in The Unbelievable Hulk, Marvel Studios largely ignored the characters and occasions of that film for a number of years. That led to Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner finally discovering love in Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, with Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross solely showing as soon as since her debut.
The identical goes for Abomination, who was in the identical challenge because the Hulk in 2022’s She-Hulk: Legal professional at Regulation. Nonetheless, regardless of how Marvel might unite each characters onscreen, they by no means seem in a scene collectively. That rivalry ought to have been resolved onscreen, and Banner might have reunited with Ross in Captain America: Courageous New World to rekindle their relationship or speak.
1
The Hulk Stopping The Chief
The MCU’s newest Captain America film additionally had one other main missed alternative for the Hulk. Its foremost villain was Samuel Sterns, aka The Chief. The character was set as much as remodel into his villain persona in The Unbelievable Hulk. Again then, it felt clear that Marvel was teasing a future showdown between Tim Blake Nelson’s Chief and the Hulk.
That’s the reason Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk being absent from Captain America: Courageous New World made it really feel like Marvel needed to make a Hulk film, however couldn’t, so Sam Wilson was chosen to switch the character in that storyline. All in all, there have been many missed alternatives for the Hulk within the MCU, which I hope will cease shifting ahead.
