Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas a bit of a Hulk problem going into the next phase of the MCU, but a recent insider report on changes made to the franchise’s next big project seems to indicate that things are about to improve significantly.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was carried through its formative phases by the Avengers, a team chosen in the absence of Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, as the rights to those first-pick characters lay elsewhere at the time Marvel Studios was founded. One of the most important parts of this first MCU Avengers team was Bruce Banner, akaThe Hulk, who would be a wild, barely restrained force to be reckoned with but would see a lot of falloff towards the end of the Infinity Saga as the character traded his potent rage for a more refined, intelligent iteration. While this exact thing has happened more than once in the comics, the lack of any real involvement from the character beyond a somewhat degrading showing inShe-Hulk: Attorney At Lawmakes it difficult to refute the assertion thatBanner’s new ‘smart’ Hulk was a big mistakein the MCU. In light of this, the franchise seems set to bring back some of the old angry appeal, most prominently with plans for the Red Hulk to appear inCaptain America: Brave New World.
While the Red Hulk is an interesting new addition, and there was previously some serious discussion onwhetherCaptain America: Brave New Worldwould be adapting the Gamma Corpfrom Marvel Comics, a recent rumor seems to give an even more interesting idea the spotlight. According to well-known sourceDaniel Richtman, the MCU has made some changes to the upcomingCaptain Americafilm geared towards setting up the World War Hulk storyline in what will be the first Hulk-focused project sinceIron Manofficially kicked off the franchise all the way back in 2008. Additionally, the new ending will serve to tie the very grounded political thrillerBrave New Worldto the much more typical Marvel fare that the Multiverse Saga promises in name and scope. This means that fans can look forward to Bruce Banner returning to true form and taking on a major role in the franchise once more.
There hasn’t been a big-screen film centered on the character sincethe fanon MCU solo projectThe Incredible Hulk,starring Edward Norton in the lead role and failing to gel with the rest of the burgeoning MCU. Norton was replaced due to creative differences and the Mark Ruffalo version of the character would be the MCU’s only version going forward, scrapping all the plans for a sequel and plot threads from the original that didn’t pan out. While Ruffalo has since implied that the character’s story arc has played out satisfactorily in other MCU projects, fans are still waiting for a standalone Hulk movie to do the emerald giant real justice, as the character’s popularity has ballooned since the last film and the CGI, VFX, and cinematography so integral to that sort of project have improved so monumentally.
If things play out as suggested, then Bruce Banner could be coming back better than ever asWorld War Hulk’s Worldbreaker Hulk is one of the character’s strongest iterations, which would not only bring back the impressive force of nature feel that the character had perfected early on in the franchise but also dial it up to 11. Like withInfinity WarandCivil Warbefore it, fans are likely to get a much less interesting and high-stakes version of the storyline if it does play out, but even a watered down version of that arc would make for impressive viewing. The news about a rework to transition from the grounded work being done inCaptain America: Brave New Worldsupports the first part of the report, as any Hulk story would quickly spiral out of the bounds of such a narrative, and the World War Hulk storyline would necessitate some much higher stakes in any interpretation.
All said, things are looking up for the longtime fan-favorite character if these reports are to be believed. According to other recent rumors,the MCU might have even cast another Hulk in Amadeus Cho, a younger, more energetic character who is alleged to be played by young star Logan Kim. All these whispers could be seen as a move towards bringing the Hulks to the MCU in a big way, similar to how the X-Men and the Fantastic Four and their rogues gallery are expected to come in. Fans can look forward to seeing whether or not these rumors pan out over the coming months.
