I’m hopeful that Avengers: Secret Wars will adapt one of the Hulk’s most iconic moments from Marvel Comics to bring him back to full strength in the MCU. Mark Ruffalo hasn’t yet been confirmed to be returning as Bruce Banner’s Hulk in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, but given his prominence in the MCU as one of the franchise’s original heroes, I have no doubt we’ll see him back in action soon. While I’m excited about the prospect of seeing the Hulk again, I really hope the Russo brothers make some huge changes to redeem him.

Bruce Banner has been crucial to the development of the MCU since the very beginning, despite the fact we’ve only seen him have one solo adventure all the way back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Now, it’s been almost three years since Mark Ruffalo’s Smart Hulk was seen in the MCU – his last appearance being in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s finale – so it’s high time he reunited with Earth’s other Mightiest Heroes. Doomsday and Secret Wars present the best opportunities for the Hulk to return, and I know just how the Russo brothers can amend their past mistakes.

The Russo Brothers Hurt Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk In Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame

The Hulk Went Through Controversial Changes In The Infinity Saga

Since his debut in 2008, Bruce Banner’s Hulk has been through some pretty major transformations, which culminated in his impotence in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame introducing “Smart Hulk.” This version of the mean, green, Avenging machine is a combination of Banner’s human and Hulk personas, enhancing the intellect of the Hulk and the brawn of Banner, but seeming to also generally weaken both in other ways. This was a very controversial change to the character made by Endgame’s directors, the Russo brothers.

Evolving into the Smart Hulk only exacerbated criticisms that Bruce Banner has been the victim of “nerfing” in the MCU, that is to cause a character to become weaker over time. In the early days of the MCU, we saw the Hulk destroy Harlem during his battle against the Abomination, punch a Leviathan so hard it died instantly, and rampage through Johannesburg in one of the most memorable fight scenes in the franchise’s history. We haven’t seen a Hulk moment like this in years, though, but I’m hopeful that Avengers: Secret Wars will finally turn the tide.

The Russo Brothers Are Taking Inspiration From Both Of Marvel’s Secret Wars Events In The MCU

Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars From 1984 & 2015 Will Inspire The MCU Crossover

The Russo brothers have recently revealed more about their return to Marvel Studios and the development of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. During an interview with TechRadar, the Russos revealed that they will be taking inspiration from both of Marvel Comics’ major Secret Wars events, from 1984 and 2015, when developing Phase 6’s upcoming crossover movies. This makes me hopeful that some of the best moments from Marvel’s Secret Wars storylines will be adapted into the live-action MCU, including some of the most unexpected scenes.

Well, we always create our own version of the story. So, we use the comics as loose inspiration. But, you know, I grew up on the original run. That’s something that got me into Marvel comic books. The Hickman run is also fantastic [and they’re] very different from each other in a lot of ways, so we’ll draw inspiration from both of them.

In 1984’s Secret Wars event, the Beyonder brought Marvel’s heroes and villains to Battleworld to fight, culminating in an epic confrontation between the heroes and an enhanced Doctor Doom. 2015 arguably had a more refined Secret Wars storyline, as incursions ravaged the multiverse, and Doctor Doom used stolen power to create Battleworld from the fragmented pieces of destroyed universes. Doom was fought by survivors and the multiverse was eventually restored, which seems to be where the MCU is headed, but I’d still love to see one huge Hulk scene from the original story brought to the MCU.

Avengers: Secret Wars Has The Perfect Scene To Adapt To Redeem The Hulk

Bruce Banner’s Hulk Needs To Get His Strength Back In Avengers: Secret Wars

During the original 1984 Secret Wars event, Molecule Man came up with a surefire plan to kill all the heroes in one fell swoop: drop a 150-billion-ton mountain range on top of them. Thankfully, this didn’t work, as Bruce Banner’s Hulk displayed the strength to hold up the entire mountain range long enough for the other heroes to devise a way to escape. Adapting this scene, or a more realistic version of it, for the MCU would put the Hulk’s sheer physical strength front-and-center, which I think would be the best way to redeem him.

Having the Hulk display power of this magnitude in Avengers: Secret Wars would certainly quell criticisms regarding his apparent “nerfing” in the MCU. There is also the possibility that pulling off this feat could unleash the “Savage Hulk” once again, which there have been many calls for since Bruce Banner became the Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. The Hulk has been through some significant changes over the duration of the MCU’s entire history, and I think Avengers: Secret Wars, the final Multiverse Saga movie, is the perfect place to bring him back to form.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  MCU Spider-Man 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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