10 Ways The Hulk Animated Show Is Better Than The MCU’s Hulk Story

In many ways, The Incredible Hulk animated series from the 1990s is far superior to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Hulk arc. While the MCU timeline has transformed many iconic Marvel heroes into household names, its handling of the Hulk has been a mixed bag. In contrast, The Incredible Hulk animated series provided a far more comprehensive and engaging exploration of Bruce Banner’s struggles, transformations, and relationships. The animated show embraced the character’s mythology, showcasing more of Hulk’s world than the MCU ever has.

The MCU introduced the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk (2008). Since then, Hulk has been part of major crossover events rather than receiving his own dedicated films. His storyline has often been sidelined, with elements essential to his character receiving little exploration. In contrast, The Incredible Hulk animated series ran for two seasons from 1996 to 1997, delving deeply into Bruce Banner’s internal struggles, relationships, and battles against formidable villains. It provided a more fleshed-out version of the Hulk mythos than the MCU has managed to this day.

10

The Animated Hulk Show Focuses On The Character In A Way The MCU Never Has

The Hulk Has Been Pushed Out Of The MCU Spotlight

One of the biggest differences between the Hulk animated series and the MCU is that the show makes Bruce Banner the undisputed protagonist. The MCU often pushes Hulk into the background, using him as a supporting character for other heroes. Even The Incredible Hulk (2008), the only film centered on him, spent much of its runtime setting up other characters rather than focusing solely on Hulk’s struggles.

Meanwhile, The Incredible Hulk animated series kept the spotlight on Bruce Banner’s tragic journey, exploring his loneliness, internal conflict, and the battle for control over his own mind. The show allowed audiences to deeply connect with Bruce and the Hulk, making them more than just muscle for action sequences. By prioritizing Hulk’s personal story, the animated series delivered a more compelling and complete version of the character than the MCU ever has.

9

The MCU Has Far Fewer Hulk Characters Than The Animated Show

The Incredible Hulk Featured A Full Range Of Hulk Characters

The MCU’s handling of Hulk’s supporting cast has been minimal at best. After The Incredible Hulk (2008), most of the Hulk-related characters disappeared from the MCU, with Betty Ross, The Leader, and Samuel Sterns being ignored for years. In contrast, The Incredible Hulk animated series fully embraced Hulk’s extensive comic book history, featuring characters like Betty Ross, Rick Jones, General Thunderbolt Ross, and She-Hulk in major roles.

The series also explored villains like the Leader, Gargoyle, and Abomination, giving Hulk a rich rogues’ gallery. Even characters like Grey Hulk played a role in the animated show. The MCU has largely sidelined these figures, reducing Hulk’s world to a fraction of what it should be. The animated series gave audiences a complete look at Hulk’s mythology, making it a far superior adaptation in terms of character depth.

8

The Animated Hulk Series Has Some Wider Marvel Characters That Even The MCU Doesn’t Yet

The Incredible Hulk Animated Series Included Several Marvel Cameos

Despite its mᴀssive scope, the MCU still hasn’t introduced certain Marvel characters who appeared in The Incredible Hulk animated series. The show featured crossovers with heroes and villains that the MCU has yet to bring into live-action, including Ghost Rider, Doctor Doom, and the U-Foes. These appearances helped expand Hulk’s world beyond just gamma-powered conflicts, showing his interactions with the broader Marvel Universe.

The inclusion of Ghost Rider, for example, added a supernatural element that the MCU has barely touched. Doctor Doom’s presence hinted at major villainous forces beyond Hulk’s usual enemies, something the MCU will hopefully explore as it concludes the Multiverse Saga. While the MCU has gradually expanded, the animated series was ahead of its time in incorporating a wider range of Marvel characters, making it feel more like a true interconnected universe long before the live-action films achieved that status.

The Incredible Hulk Animated Series Included Green And Grey Huk

One of the most fascinating aspects of the animated Hulk series was its exploration of Bruce Banner’s multiple Hulk idenтιтies. Unlike the MCU, which only briefly touched on Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame (2019), the animated series fully embraced the idea that Bruce could transform into different versions of the Hulk. It featured both the classic Green Hulk and the fan-favorite Grey Hulk, each with distinct personalities.

The Grey Hulk, also known as Joe Fixit in the comics, had a more intelligent and morally ambiguous nature, offering a contrast to the raging Green Hulk. This exploration of Hulk’s multiple personas added depth to the character and his internal struggle, something the MCU has never properly explored. By including multiple Hulks and treating them as unique aspects of Bruce’s psyche, the animated series gave fans a more comic-accurate and layered portrayal of the character.

6

The MCU Has Hulk Villains Primarily Fighting Other Heroes

The MCU Has Depicted Abomination, The Leader & Red Hulk

While Hulk has been involved in numerous memorable brawls in the MCU, he is frequently fighting another character’s foes or an Avengers threat. Hulk is rarely able to battle one of his own numerous iconic villains. Frustratingly, the MCU squandered the opportunity to correct this in Captain America: Brave New World. Sam Wilson’s Captain America faced the Leader and Thaddeus Ross’s Red Hulk, while Hulk himself was nowhere to be seen.

The only true Hulk villain he fought was Abomination in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and even that character later fought Wong instead in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). The animated series, on the other hand, fully embraced Hulk’s rogues’ gallery. It featured villains like The Leader, Abomination, and Gargoyle in battles that truly challenged the Hulk, reinforcing his place as a central figure rather than a supporting act in other heroes’ stories.

One of the most compelling aspects of Hulk’s character in the comics is the exploration of Bruce Banner’s fractured psyche, something the Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely ignored. The Incredible Hulk animated series leaned into the idea that Hulk and Banner were two distinct personalities, who mentally battle for control over Bruce Banner’s body. The show delved into Banner’s trauma, guilt, and suppressed emotions, even showcasing his Grey Hulk persona.

Meanwhile, the MCU has mostly treated the Hulk as a secondary personality without much depth, largely skipping over Banner’s dissociative struggles. While these themes were touched on in The Incredible Hulk movie, by Avengers: Endgame (2019), Hulk and Banner were simply merged into one, removing any exploration of his internal conflict. The animated series, on the other hand, truly embraced the psychological complexity that makes the Hulk such an intriguing and tragic figure.

In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Bruce Banner was on the run from the U.S. government, a storyline that is often a central part of his character. However, after that film, the MCU quickly abandoned this idea. By The Avengers (2012), Bruce was no longer being pursued, and his fugitive status was barely referenced again. General Ross continued to appear in later films, but he seemed more focused on policing the Avengers than capturing Hulk.

The Incredible Hulk animated series, however, made Banner’s fugitive status a major part of its story, with General Ross relentlessly hunting him across multiple episodes. This element added significant tension and stakes to Hulk’s story, emphasizing Bruce’s struggle to find peace while being constantly pursued. Without this, the MCU has made Hulk’s narrative feel incomplete and far less compelling compared to the animated series.

3

The Animated Series Featured More Emotionally Driven Hulk Transformations

The MCU Quickly Moved On From Hulk’s Transformations

In the MCU, Bruce Banner’s transformations into the Hulk are often triggered by necessity rather than emotion. He controls his transformations early on, and by Avengers: Endgame, he permanently fuses with the Hulk, eliminating the dramatic weight behind his transformations. In contrast, the animated series depicted his transformations as deeply tied to his emotions.

Anger, fear, sadness, and even moments of vulnerability could trigger Banner’s change, making the transformations feel more impactful. This approach reinforced the tragic nature of his condition, as Banner struggled to control a force within him that responded to his deepest emotions. The series also explored the toll these transformations took on him, something the MCU has mostly downplayed. The show’s approach made Hulk’s transformations feel more like a curse, adding layers to his character that the MCU has seemingly forgotten about.

2

The MCU’s General Ross Is Less Intimidating Than In The Animated Series

The MCU’s Thaddeus Ross Lacks The Character’s Usual Relentlessness

General Thunderbolt Ross is one of Hulk’s most persistent antagonists, yet the MCU has largely underutilized him. William Hurt portrayed Ross in multiple films, but he was more of a bureaucratic nuisance than a true threat. The animated series, however, made Ross a terrifying force, truly obsessed with capturing or eliminating Hulk at all costs. His relentless pursuit of Banner added constant tension to the show, making him one of the most dangerous figures in Bruce’s life.

He employed advanced military strategies, weapons, and alliances with other villains to try and take Hulk down. Meanwhile, the MCU reduced Ross to a supporting character whose presence never significantly impacts Hulk’s story. Harrison Ford’s rendition of the character in Captain America: Brave New World depicted him as a more gentile version of the character, which felt like a benign deviation from his comic book counterpart.

1

Hulk’s Relationship With She-Hulk Is Explored More In The Animated Series

Hulk Only Appeared In 3 Episodes Of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

The MCU introduced She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), but the relationship between Bruce and Jennifer Walters felt rushed. Bruce serves as her mentor for only a short period before leaving, curtailing the potential for a more developed relationship. In contrast, The Incredible Hulk animated series dedicated significant time to developing their bond. She-Hulk was a major character throughout the second season, allowing her relationship with Bruce to grow organically.

The show depicted their mutual understanding of their unique struggles, highlighting their shared burden and emotional connection. Jennifer’s transformation into She-Hulk had more emotional weight, and her dynamic with Bruce was explored in greater depth than in the MCU. By giving their relationship time to develop across multiple episodes, The Incredible Hulk animated series provided a far more satisfying exploration of their dynamic than the brief interactions seen in the MCU.

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