The Incredible Hulk

is often left out of the line-up when discussing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

movies, but its position in the lineup of releases was a huge problem for the release. The MCU is a juggernaut in the movie industry that has amᴀssed several billion dollars over the course of more than 30 movies and several TV shows and special projects. However, the entire series began with a humble independent film made before Marvel Studios was ever established, Iron Man.

After Iron Man, the studios continued to enjoy success with releases like Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor, both of which brought two more core team members to the Avengers lineup ahead of a major crossover event film. However, one movie is often overlooked in this first batch of releases, and it makes sense why, considering the film was actually created under another studio’s purview, Universal. Despite this, The Incredible Hulk had the potential to be big if it was handled correctly.

The Incredible Hulk’s Release Saw A Lackluster Reception

The Incredible Hulk Did Not Get A Lot Of Attention

The issue is, despite Iron Man being a relatively unknown character in 2008, the movie managed to pull off something spectacular when it grossed almost $600 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). A few months later, also in 2008, Universal released The Incredible Hulk, starring the then-two-time Academy Award nominee, Edward Norton. While the movie had a lot of the right elements for a blockbuster hit, and it starred one of the most popular characters in Marvel’s lengthy comic book history and beyond, it earned a fraction of the box office compared to Iron Man with $264 million (via Box Office Mojo).

On top of that, the movie did not excite or engage the audience and critics, which is partially why it ended up struggling to draw crowds. But even more so, the fact that this movie was released by the same studio, with a new angle and lead actor, just five years after Ang Lee’s Hulk, it was a weird way to kill and reboot the franchise. The result was a lackluster film that did not fit into the newly expanding MCU.

The Hulk Featured In An Over $1 Billion Dollar Marvel Movie Hit Not Long After

The Avengers Made Hulk Into One Of The Most Beloved Heroes In The MCU

In 2012, the MCU reached another huge milestone as the original six heroes introduced in the previous films formed a team in The Avengers. Alongside Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, Bruce Banner is recruited for his mind, and the strength that his alter ego, the Hulk, brings to the table. This movie became the first in the franchise to cross the billion-dollar mark, and it cemented the wider universe that was being built as something worthwhile.

However, the Hulk featured here not only looked completely different thanks to a redesign, but Norton was replaced with Mark Ruffalo, who delivered a version of Bruce Banner that fits into the MCU in a much more satisfying way. Ever since, the character of the Huk in the MCU has been one of the most beloved additions to the shared universe, and the duality of the character makes for some interesting and compelling moments throughout the franchise.

I’m Convinced The Hulk Getting A Solo Movie After The Avengers Would’ve Totally Changed Things For The Release

The Timeline Would Have Worked Better If The Hulk Movie Came Later

But the confusion surrounding the Hulk’s position in the timeline of the MCU could have been avoided had the studio held off on releasing the Hulk movie until after The Avengers. As mentioned above, there was a Hulk movie that was released in 2003. This movie focused on the origins of the hero, and having been a popular character for decades already, it didn’t do much to expand the character. Then, in 2008, The Incredible Hulk had a confusing sense of tone that was not in-keeping with the MCU.

If there was an opportunity to create the Hulk movie after the enormous success of The Avengers, things could have been very different. Namely, Mark Ruffalo would have been the person responsible for playing the hero. Next, the universe was on track to expand, and Hulk could have been a vital part of that expansion. Yet, on the other hand, there is a chance that the movie would still have struggled to stick the landing, or that Edward Norton would have been called upon to play the character later if his original film was scrapped. Either way, the tone of The Incredible Hulk’s story would have been very different.

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