I Can't Believe The MCU Had A Perfect Chance To Give Us A Hulk Storyline We’ve Been Waiting 17 Years For & It Still Didn't Quite Happen

The Marvel Cinematic Universe almost offered the Hulk storyline people have been craving since 2008, but once again, it stopped just short. For nearly two decades, MCU audiences have waited for Bruce Banner to truly take center stage in a darker, more character-driven arc. Despite how close the MCU timeline has come making that happen, it still misses the chance to give the Hulk mythos the attention it deserves, despite having the perfect opportunity in 2025.

Bruce Banner has had a strange journey in the MCU. After 2008’s The Incredible Hulk introduced Edward Norton as the character in a solo outing, the Hulk was largely absorbed into the larger Avengers ensemble. Mark Ruffalo took over the role in 2012’s The Avengers, and since then, Hulk has been used more for comic relief or as a sidekick than a central figure. While other heroes had their own franchises, rights issues with Universal have hampered Hulk’s. despite finding the opportune workaround in 2025, the MCU still failed to offer a proper Hulk villain narrative.

The Concept Of An MCU Hulk Villain Movie Story Has Been Teased For Years Now

The Incredible Hulk Set Up Hulk As A Villain In The Avengers

One of the most intriguing what-ifs in the MCU’s early history is the potential setup for a villainous Hulk arc. The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier has gone on record saying the film’s ending was intentionally ambiguous – Banner smiles after transforming, hinting at possible control but also hinting at a more dangerous future. This was a calculated decision to keep options open, including the idea that Hulk could be positioned as a threat.

This is further reinforced by the film’s post-credits scene, where Tony Stark visits General Ross – not Banner. This suggests that Stark wasn’t recruiting Hulk; he was recruiting Ross and possibly seeking help in stopping Hulk. The idea of a villainous or uncontrollable Hulk was baked into the MCU from the start, yet it was quietly dropped in favor of a more comedic, less threatening version of the character.

2025 Brought The MCU The Closest Yet To This Hulk Story In Its Movies, But Didn’t Make The Red Hulk A True Villain

Red Hulk Debuted In Captain America: Brave New World

Harrison Ford's Thaddeus Ross transformed into Red Hulk in Captain America Brave New World

In 2025, Captain America: Brave New World offered the MCU its closest chance yet to explore a darker Hulk-related storyline – with the introduction of the Red Hulk. Harrison Ford’s take on Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was highly anticipated, especially after the character’s longtime obsession with controlling or defeating Hulk in the comics and films alike. Yet, while Red Hulk does appear in the movie, the story sidesteps the chance to make him a true villain.

Ross’s transformation is portrayed as something he actively resists, a process forced upon him by The Leader. Instead of embracing his power or going rogue, Ross is more of a victim – a reluctant monster rather than a willful threat. This severely limits the dramatic potential of the story and essentially retreads Bruce Banner’s initial arc.

Red Hulk is effectively The Leader’s weapon in Brave New World, not a character with independent ambition or moral conflict. This feels like a near-miss. The pieces were all there: Ross, the military-industrial complex, a history of conflict with Banner, and a new super-powered form. Yet the narrative still chose to frame Ross as a subordinate player rather than the main antagonist he could have been.

The MCU’s Red Hulk Story Makes Sense, But Misses A Major Opportunity

Red Hulk Could Have Been A Much Grander Villain

The MCU’s decision to present Red Hulk as a tool rather than a villain may make sense in the broader narrative arc of Brave New World, where Sam Wilson’s Captain America is the focal point. However, in doing so, the MCU missed a prime opportunity to elevate Hulk’s storylines from supporting threads to a major event. In the comics, Red Hulk isn’t just a rampaging beast – he’s a calculating, dangerous figure.

Red Hulk has been a major antagonist, an antihero, and even a world-threatening villain. Ross has orchestrated military coups, betrayed heroes, and pursued power at any cost. Making him the main villain of a film (or more) wouldn’t just have provided a fresh type of threat for the MCU; it would have revitalized the Hulk’s role in the franchise.

A story where Red Hulk becomes the antagonist, forcing Bruce Banner out of the shadows and back into the MCU spotlight, could have been the arc many have waited 17 years for. It would have explored not just power, but legacy, obsession, and transformation- key themes in Hulk’s mythology. Instead, audiences got a partial version of that idea, one that checks the box of introducing Red Hulk, but without truly using him.