The depiction of the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hasn’t always been as exciting as it should be, but there is now potential for the character to finally reach their full potential. Hulk’s journey in the MCU has been riddled with complications. From a change in casting between his debut and The Avengers, to only appearing in supporting roles.

With the rights for the character tied up with Universal Studios, Marvel has had to get creative with telling his story, and building Hulk in the background. But that’s also left the MCU with an underwhelming version of the hero who, despite being one of the strongest Avengers, felt less impressive than his comic book counterpart.

However, things may be finally turning around for the character and the future looks bright thanks to the arrival of several new incredibly powerful heroes and a series of heavy-hitters who can help the MCU’s Hulk to become truly unleashed, and tap into his full potential.

The MCU’s New Most Powerful Characters Mean The Hulk’s Power Level Can Be More Fully Embraced

The Multiverse Saga has seen some ups and downs for the MCU. With a series of MCU movies that have underperformed at the box office, and some that received overwhelming negativity, it appears that the studio may have pᴀssed its heyday.

However, the most recent тιтles, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, have introduced several characters who have upped the ante for the entire multiverse. Namely, Red Hulk, a long time comic book rival of the Green Giant, Sentry, Franklin Richards, and Doctor Doom.

All of these characters have helped to shift the balance of power in the MCU, and present characters like Hulk with a brand-new challenge that could truly test their abilities and push them beyond previously established power levels.

The MCU Hulk Has Been Nerfed For Years (But Marvel Now Has Its Best Chance To Fix It)

In all honesty, this couldn’t happen soon enough as Hulk’s power in the MCU has been considerably nerfed. After his debut in The Incredible Hulk, the character was brought into a team alongside the Avengers. Here, he was shown to be a powerful threat, and unable to fully control his abilities.

This presented issues for the most part, but when the Battle of New York forced Bruce Banner to embrace his alter-ego, Hulk’s powers were put on full display as he brought down monstrous leviathans, and smashed Loki, an Asgardian god, like he was a ragdoll.

Since then, Hulk has evolved, with his appearance in Thor: Ragnarok serving as one of the most significant chapters in his story. Here, once again, his powers were put to good use, as he fought Thor, and eventually Surtur, Hela, and Fenris.

However, when Bruce Banner found a way to combine his mental prowess with Hulk’s physicality, the character lost some of that feral power. Now, the Smart Hulk may have the brains, but despite his bursting musculature, he struggles to cut loose and reach his full physical potential.

Thankfully, with several new powerful heroes and villains on the horizon, it appears as though the Hulk could finally return in full force, as the heroes’ powers would no longer eclipse the other more grounded characters of the MCU.

Letting The MCU Hulk Be At His Most Powerful In Spider-Man: Brand New Day & Avengers: Doomsday Could Be Just What The Franchise Needs

Hulk’s next MCU appearance is set to be in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where his role in the story has yet to be disclosed. However, with this movie focusing on Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, a street level hero, it’s unlikely to see Hulk pushed to his limits.

It is much more likely that if and when the Hulk returns in Avengers: Doomsday, which is highly likely considering his role in the Multiverse Saga so far, he will meet some rivals who could force the character to embrace his full ferocious power.

In Avengers: Infinity War, we saw Hulk swatted by Thanos, which led to the character refusing to come to the frontlines. However, with Banner now aligned with his alter-ego, the threat of attack from Doctor Doom, and other incredible heroes who may prove hostile initially, will likely have a different outcome.

If that is indeed the case, the character may finally get a chance to shine in the way that they deserve to in the MCU. Despite not having a recent solo movie, and having their powers reduced in recent years, Hulk could prove to be one of the greatest forces in the future of the MCU, but something needs to change.

Thankfully, there is no shortage of new rivals for the hero to face, and this is likely to provide the exact level of challenge that the hero needs to push past his limits, and finally reach their potential on the big screen.

However, Hulk still has some way to go to achieve this new height of power, and the MCU’s power scale is already shifting. But I am confident that the character can rise to the challenge, and finally align with the hero from the comics, thanks to the increased compeтιтion.