The Marvel Cinematic Universe has now existed for 16 years. Countless heroes and villains have been featured in over 30 films. But MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes has a big problem with one thing. He thinks one of the oldest Avengers has been completely wasted.
Which superhero is it about? After the release of Iron Man in 2008, a new film quickly followed, but was pretty forgotten: The Incredible Hulk. Back then, Edward Norton still played the Hulk. The film is now a forgotten spot in the MCU, from which only the villain was brought back for a series.
Afterwards, the Hulk appeared as a supporting character in several films and series, this time played by Mark Ruffalo. But as much as I like many of the films, I have to admit that the development and handling of the Hulk still makes me angry to this day, because there is hardly a hero who was so wasted.
Hulk is one of the core Avengers:
German trailer for “Marvel’s The Avengers”
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A tragic hero becomes a joke
What makes the idea of the Hulk so interesting? The Hulk, despite being reduced to a dull thud, is a pretty tragic figure. Unlike characters like Captain America or Thor, he doesn’t actually want his powers. They are usually accompanied by a lack of control.
The Hulk is one of the most powerful heroes, but also one of the most dangerous. This is even hinted at in the first two Averngers films. In Avengers: Age of Ultron they even try to build an interesting relationship with Black Widow, which ends with the Hulk disappearing. But hardly anything is done with it later.
But this character development is skipped rather abruptly in Avengers: Endgame. The time jump already caused lame off-screen developments, but it’s particularly difficult with the Hulk. Suddenly he can control him and make numerous jokes.
In principle I have nothing against this silliness, after all I also like Thor: Love and Thunder, but this development makes the Hulk feel incredibly wasted and hope for a sensible development is lost.
Hulk is a super weapon
In many stories, the Hulk resembles a dangerous super weapon. He can take on countless enemies, but he is also a danger to those around him and the world. In the comic story World War Hulk, this basic idea is taken to the extreme.
Since the Illuminati, consisting of Tony Stark, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange and Reed Richards, fearful of the potential danger posed by Hulk, banish him to a distant planet. There, Hulk settles in as a powerful gladiator and even starts a family.
However, an explosion on the spaceship in which he was sent into exile kills his wife and Hulk, consumed by revenge, comes to Earth to take revenge on the heroes.
Of course, you don’t need all the fights between heroes, but the core idea is an interesting plot for films. The MCU Avengers regularly use the Hulk as a superweapon, even joke about it. But what if the Hulk gets out of control and threatens humanity?
Such a moral question would be a nice direction for the MCU, which has always needed more depth.
The Hulk has the potential to tell a tragic, personal story
The personal aspect of Bruce Banner is also poorly addressed. In many Hulk stories, Bruce Banner doesn’t want him at all. The forced symbiosis between the two is a gigantic burden for Bruce, as he is not just a hero, but an uncontrollable monster.
This personal dilemma has great potential for an emotional story, which I think the MCU has been missing for years. Even in the public perception of the different worlds, Hulk is not a shining hero like Captain America. He is a monster that destroys entire cities.
The connection between Bruce and Hulk is touched upon slightly in Thor: Ragnarök and Avengers: Infinity War, but Bruce as a character isn’t given any room for it because another hero has to appear all the time.
In various stories, this massive burden even goes so far that Bruce wants to take his own life, but the Hulk prevents it.
Dealing with the Hulk probably won’t change
I’ve given up hope for a good Hulk. There will probably no longer be a solo film, as Mark Ruffalo himself believes (via Hollywood Reporter). Marvel also doesn’t have the rights to a solo Hulk film, they are owned by Universal. The character of the Hulk is basically written out in the MCU. He’s revealed here and there as a funny but clever chicken, but I don’t expect a personal story anymore.
But it offers a lot of potential to take the MCU in a different, more tragic direction. The MCU needs personal stories about individual heroes and not films in which as many heroes as possible have to be squeezed in.
Since the MCU is more oriented towards the big story, it would probably never happen even with existing rights.
And I don’t think any character embodies this wasted opportunity more than the Hulk, who simply deserves more. But feel free to write us your opinion on the topic in the comments. After Thanos, a new villain awaits us in the MCU, and he’s tough: 5 reasons why Dr. Doom in Marvel is scarier than Thanos