At one point, the Hulk was being set up to play a villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
, and honestly, if the idea was handled correctly, it could have been an interesting twist. Right at the beginning of the MCU, Iron Man stands out as being the first and foremost character who would play a pivotal role in the ambitious franchise. However, he wasn’t the only Marvel hero introduced that year. The Incredible Hulk was released just one month later, and further established the connection in this shared universe.
However, The Incredible Hulk suffered from some issues that made it a more complicated part of the MCU, especially with the character rights tied up under Universal. This led to the production having a shakier future than counterparts like Iron Man and the other independently produced films that populated the MCU going forward. But there was a plan for the character that was established from that first тιтle, with both director Louis Leterrier and actor Edward Norton having a vision for what the Hulk could become in the MCU.
The Incredible Hulk’s Director Left The Door Open For The Hulk To Become The Avengers’ Villain
Hulk Had A Distinct Character Arc Set Up In The Movie
Back in 2008, Leterrier discussed future plans for the Hulk as he would like to see them develop in the MCU. At this point, Marvel Studios was yet to be properly established, and the idea of creating a shared universe was a pipe dream. But, Leterrier clearly had vision for his version of the Hulk. Further highlighting how different things were at the beginning of the MCU, Leterrier shared his plans for the character following the movie’s release, years before The Avengers would actually be made (via MTV).
“That’s why I left the door open for whoever’s going to direct ‘The Avengers’ with our last sH๏τ. Edward and I, we consciously decided to make the last sH๏τ of the movie when he opens his eyes and he smirks at the camera… Is he enjoying it? Is he malicious? That’s what’s great about Edward. You don’t know if he’s a good guy or bad guy. He’s always on this edge and we’ve been sort of surfing that edge, that very thin edge during the entire movie.”
“So that last sH๏τ of the movie, if you decide that he’s smiling, in control, then he’s a good guy, that’s ‘The Hulk 2,’… if Hulk is a failure, then he looks up and smirks and that’s eventually the Hulk of the Avengers — the uncontrollable beast that they need to team up to stop.”
Leterrier felt strongly that the character of the Hulk had the potential to be either a hero or a villain. Rather than create a clearcut superhero, he set out to make something more morally ambiguous, and seeing the destruction, violence and intensity of the character in the 2008 film, it’s clear that this conflict was pivotal to Leterrier’s version of the character. Likewise, Norton felt that there should be a more complex narrative, rather than a simplistic comic book story on the big screen. Thus, the plan at the time was for the Hulk to either be a hero in a sequel movie, or the villain in The Avengers.
The Avengers Having Hulk As A Villain In Its Story Could’ve Led His MCU Arc Down A Very Different Road
The Entire MCU Would Have Looked Very Different
As we all know, Norton did not stick with the MCU beyond his debut outing as Bruce Banner. And likewise, Leterrier moved on to other projects and parted ways with the foundling studio. But in a similar way to how Iron Man set the tone for the MCU being the first entry in the series, The Incredible Hulk could have played a bigger role in defining the franchise and the character of Hulk if it had come out first or been better received. And this would have led to not only that character looking very different in the MCU, but the entire course of the series would have shifted.
Hulk may have actually played a much larger role in the narrative if his character was targeted by the Avengers, who needed to capture and subdue the Green Giant. He could have caused tremendous chaos, and the potential that Bruce Banner gave in to the monster, or lost control of that darker half, would have made for an interesting story. It also would have affected the lineup of the heroes, and potentially led to adjustments to use heroes who might be better suited to fighting a Hulk.
Looking Back Now, It’s Easy To Wonder Whether Making The Hulk The Villain Of The Avengers Might Have Had A Better Outcome For The Character
Loki’s Narrative Arc Could Have Been Replaced By A More Sweeping Hulk Story
With the Hulk as a villain storyline discarded, the MCU turned to Loki to be the central villain of The Avengers. This would eventually see Loki turn into one of the most prominent and well-liked characters in the MCU, who had an extensive character arc to becoming a hero with two seasons of a show expanding on his story. However, Bruce Banner could have been inserted into this role instead, which would have caused the resulting movie to be hugely different, both tonally and in terms of the narrative.
The Hulk did have some small spats with the rest of the Avengers in The Avengers, but having him set up as a villain, and particularly one that has managed to sway the genius Bruce Banner to his side could have been dark and delicious. Presumably, with Hulk playing a central role, other characters like Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader could have been brought back with him early on, while General Ross may have been working with the superheroes to mount an ᴀssault on the monstrous Hulk. I think we got the better and more enduring version of the MCU, but it’s interesting to contemplate “what if” everything was different.
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
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May 1, 2026
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
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May 7, 2027
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