Hulk’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been on the verge of greatness since the start, with several scenes falling just short of making the character perfect. Hulk is one of the most recognizable and popular superheroes of all time.

As a foundational comic book character who debuted in 1962, Hulk has been a pillar of Marvel’s success ever since. With appearances on TV and popular cartoons, Hulk became a global phenomenon, and he remains one of the most beloved comic book heroes of all time.

However, the adaptation seen in the MCU has been held back by the fact that Marvel Studios does not have the distribution rights to release solo movies featuring the character. Instead, Universal Pictures has retained this right, which has resulted in a somewhat stifled storyline for Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in the MCU.

7

The Hulk Introduces His Son

As a result, Hulk has been included in many MCU projects, but always as part of someone else’s story. Despite this, Marvel Studios has tried to hint at a larger narrative for Hulk behind the scenes, and his character clearly has a history that audiences have yet to see.

So, when Hulk introduces his son, Skaar, at the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it felt like a tease for a bigger story. But Skaar doesn’t speak, and the moment is incredibly brief. Had this been explored in even slightly more detail, it could have completely changed the outcome, but as it stands, it feels rushed and hollow.

And while this narrative will hopefully be revisited down the line, it’s hard to know whether Hulk will get to have a significant role in the adventure, due to the messy rights issues.

6

The Hulk Meets Shang-Chi

Now, a moment which does feel slightly more significant is Bruce Banner, aka Hulk’s cameo in the mid-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. With Bruce being one of just two original Avengers still active in the MCU along with Thor, since Clint Barton retired, it’s wonderful to see him connect with the next generation.

However, despite having some sort of secret superhero council that includes Captain Marvel and Wong, Bruce appears via a hologram. Had this moment done more to actually have these characters collaborate, or promise a future team-up, it would have been far better.

Unfortunately, four years after this film, nothing more has come of the team-up, and it feels like another empty promise featuring Hulk that needs to have a proper pay-off.

5

Hulk’s Time As A Gladiator On Sakaar

As much as Hulk has failed to have his own story explored in the MCU, Thor: Ragnarok came the closest to doing so by making the character almost a co-lead with Thor. When Thor finds Hulk, he has been stranded on Sakaar for years, and the two are forced to fight in an incredible duel.

But, this also leaves out important details that are revealed in the movie, but never shown in any meaningful way. Hulk fought to become the champion of Sakaar, a gladiator of unmatched strength. Evidently, this means he had to fight through several previous challengers to earn his тιтle.

As awesome as it is to know that Hulk could beat an array of gladiator aliens, a simple montage of him in the ring would have gone a long way.

Hulk is a beast, but his powers only hold up for so long against Thor. A montage of Hulk beating dozens of other heroes would have solidified his formidable strength, and been incredibly engaging to watch.

4

Hulk Vs. Wolverine

Speaking of showing off the Hulk’s incredible brute strength, another MCU release from the Multiverse Saga also sees the Green Goliath go up against an iconic hero. In ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, Wade Wilson travels to various realities trying to find a Wolverine to patch up his reality.

However, along the way, he meets several grumpy, aggressive, and incredibly violent Wolverines that have no interest in helping him save his world. But one stands out as particularly interesting, as he is about to launch into a fight against Hulk.

This brief moment was pulled from a popular comic story, and the image of Hulk reflected in Wolverine’s claws is a direct reference to the cover. However, the audience doesn’t get to see any fighting happen. Even a brief moment of the two engaging in combat would have been great, but everything plays out off-screen.

3

Red Hulk Appears While Banner Is Nowhere To Be Seen

Captain America: Brave New World ended up serving as a sequel to several Marvel projects. Eternals, a widely panned cinematic release from early in the Multiverse Saga, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, one of the lowest-performing Disney+ Marvel shows, and The Incredible Hulk, a movie that barely exists in the MCU.

However, this movie had the opportunity to redeem The Incredible Hulk, in the same way that ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine said goodbye to pre-MCU Marvel movies, and Spider-Man: No Way Home provided an ending for two previous versions of Spider-Man in live-action.

Thaddeus Ross returns as the President, after having had several other MCU appearances where he also conveniently missed Bruce Banner, and Betty Ross has a brief but poignant cameo moment. However, Hulk is nowhere to be seen.

This is a huge missed opportunity, especially considering the fact that Ross turns into Red Hulk, and Hulk could have played a huge part in putting a stop to him. They are iconic rivals in the comics, but in the MCU, they appear to keep their distance.

2

Smart Hulk Goes Back To New York

The prospect of seeing a Smart Hulk in live-action was a tantalizing idea before it actually happened in Avengers: Endgame. In the comics, Bruce finds a way to meld his mind with Hulk, embracing the best of both characters. However, the MCU imprisons Hulk’s mind and gives Bruce his body.

As bad as that already sounds, it gets worse when the impact this has on the character and their strength is revealed. Since Hulk is a savage who wields his brutal and primitive strength in every movement, he taps into the full potential of his Hulked-out body. But Bruce is kind of a pacifist.

This is best exemplified when Bruce travels back in time to New York during the infamous battle of New York, and he needs to act like he is his savage counterpart. But Bruce has no idea what to do, and he lazily nudges things around. It’s so disappointing to see Hulk lose his power, and he deserved more.

1

Hulk Trains She-Hulk

Talking about tapping into that unrestrained power, the MCU has introduced a new Hulk-hero in the form of Jeniffer Walters. Bruce’s cousin develops similar powers when his contaminated blood mixes with hers, turning her into She-Hulk.

Bruce volunteers to help train his cousin and ease her into the transition, as he knows the struggles he endured while trying to get control of his powers. However, Jen appears to have no issues using her abilities, and keeping control in her Hulk form.

This leads to Hulk getting compeтιтive and showing off his strength, but, there is more that could have been done to play into this dynamic and give the Hulk a moment to shine. Hulk and She-Hulk should have had a fight. Either with each other, or more practically, against a group of bad guys.

This could have been a great way to show off their powers, and bring Hulk back to a state of actually pushing his powers, but instead, Smart Hulk remains in the MCU, and the character feels way less exciting.