The Hulk‘s story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is sadly filled with missed opportunities, and Bruce Banner’s place in the franchise would be better if some of these had worked. The Hulk was first played by Edward Norton in the MCU, though most of the Hulk’s MCU timeline comes from Mark Ruffalo’s take on the character, which started in The Avengers.

Since then, the Hulk has been featured in some of the MCU’s best movies. However, that does not mean that the character’s arc has always been up to par with the level of the projects he appeared in. Marvel Studios could have done more with the Hulk. Before he returns in Marvel’s next Spider-Man movie, a look at all the Hulk’s missed opportunities is warranted.

10

The Hulk’s Introduction Of Skaar

To this day, I still can’t believe how the MCU introduced one of the biggest changes to the Hulk’s MCU story like it was nothing. Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner played a key role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, being responsible for Jennifer Walters’ super-powered alter ego and training her to understand her powers.

After the character went to space on a Sakaaran ship for an unknown reason, the She-Hulk season finale revealed that the MCU hero has a son, Skaar. Aside from the fact that he comes from Sakaar and is a Hulk, nothing else has been revealed about Skaar since his debut. The reveal deserved a bigger platform and definitely more focus.

9

The MCU’s Smart Hulk Story

There are different sides to the MCU’s Smart Hulk reveal. On the one hand, it makes sense as to what the franchise had been building the Hulk’s story up to. After years of his two sides clashing, Hulk and Banner unite as one, with the muscles and brains of each one fused as Smart Hulk.

While the reveal was fun and made for a fresh Hulk experience in live-action, it could have been done better. As it stands, the Hulk simply went from not showing up in Avengers: Infinity War to Smart Hulk the next time he was seen. By having that key transformation happen off-screen, a lot of possible emotional fallout was lost.

8

Fighting The Red Hulk

It makes no sense that the Hulk was not in Captain America: Brave New World. While the film stars Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, Hulk villains and supporting characters are crucial to the story. However, the Hulk does not show up for some reason. Given that the Hulk is in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel dropped the ball.

Had Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk appeared in the Captain America movie, audiences would have been treated to a live-action Hulk vs Red Hulk fight. I don’t see Harrison Ford sticking around in the MCU for many years, so having Red Hulk’s debut include the long-awaited fight between the two Hulks in live-action would have secured that key storyline.

7

A Hulk Movie Sequel

While the list is not in order, the fact that the Hulk still has no movie sequels in the MCU will always be the franchise’s biggest missed opportunity when it comes to the character. Yes, I understand there are movie rights issues, which have seemingly made the situation too complicated for Marvel to produce a new Hulk movie.

However, given how the studio was able to work out multiple deals with Sony for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to star in four MCU solo movies so far, it is possible there might be a way forward for The Incredible Hulk 2. Rumors about a World War Hulk movie have come and gone, so hopefully, there is some truth to them.

6

A Full-On Planet Hulk Story

With The Incredible Hulk being the Marvel hero’s only solo movie in the MCU so far, the studio has had to plan the Hulk’s arcs to play out across different movies. Thor: Ragnarok is one of the biggest MCU films for the Hulk, as it tackles important growth for the character with a major Hulk comic book story as inspiration.

That would be Planet Hulk. The Hulk storyline from Marvel Comics has some key differences and similarities to the Thor movie, but it is evident that the film, which does not feature the Hulk as its main character, could not completely dive into the thrilling source material. The darker tone of the Sci-Fi story was lost.

5

More Bruce Banner Transformations Into The Hulk

It is shocking that we even have to discuss this as a missed opportunity. After all, we have seen several Iron Man suit-up scenes throughout the MCU, so why can’t the same happen when it comes to Bruce Banner transforming into the Hulk? The last time that a Hulk transformation happened onscreen was in 2012’s The Avengers.

Since then, Banner might have started to transform onscreen, but the full thing always happens offscreen. Captain America: Brave New World is the MCU movie to come the closest to that, but it was for Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk, not Ruffalo’s Hulk. The MCU’s upcoming movies could finally make that happen, which would be an effective change to Hulk’s visuals.

4

The Perfect Conclusion To Hulk Being Afraid

This one is connected to the Smart Hulk arc that has become controversial. That storyline is often criticized due to how the merger of Banner’s two personas happened off-screen. However, the MCU’s original Smart Hulk plan was different, and it changed due to test audiences not enjoying how it played out.

The Hulk losing to Thanos and being afraid to come out was the character’s main storyline in Avengers: Infinity War. Banner then used the Hulkbuster armor in the Battle of Wakanda. Originally, the Hulk would have burst out of the suit to protect Banner as they both merged. I feel that was a more epic way to arrive at Smart Hulk.

3

Hulk’s Rematch With Thanos

Speaking about the last couple of Avengers movies, the Hulk had an important arc that could have led to him playing a bigger role in Avengers: Endgame. One of the MCU’s most shocking moments is how Thanos defeated the Hulk so easily without even needing the Infinity Stones to do it. That showcased his strength.

Avengers: Endgame was then set up to provide the perfect opportunity for the Hulk to get a rematch against Thanos. However, the characters never have that awaited fight in the film. Instead, other MCU heroes, such as Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and more, get to fight Thanos directly. The Hulk deserved his rematch.

2

Resolving The Betty Ross & Abomination Storylines

Due to how Mark Ruffalo did not play the тιтle role in The Incredible Hulk, Marvel Studios largely ignored the characters and events of that movie for several years. That led to Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner eventually finding love in Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, with Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross only appearing once since her debut.

The same goes for Abomination, who was in the same project as the Hulk in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. However, despite how Marvel could unite both characters onscreen, they never appear in a scene together. That rivalry should have been resolved onscreen, and Banner could have reunited with Ross in Captain America: Brave New World to rekindle their relationship or talk.

1

The Hulk Stopping The Leader

The MCU’s latest Captain America movie also had another major missed opportunity for the Hulk. Its main villain was Samuel Sterns, aka The Leader. The character was set up to transform into his villain persona in The Incredible Hulk. Back then, it felt clear that Marvel was teasing a future showdown between Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader and the Hulk.

That is why Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk being absent from Captain America: Brave New World made it feel like Marvel wanted to make a Hulk movie, but could not, so Sam Wilson was chosen to replace the character in that storyline. All in all, there have been many missed opportunities for the Hulk in the MCU, which I hope will stop moving forward.