The Marvel Cinematic Universe has existed for 16 years now. In over 30 movies, countless heroes and villains have been introduced. However, MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes has a significant problem with one of them. He believes that one of the oldest Avengers has been completely wasted.
Which superhero is it about? Following the launch of Iron Man in 2008, a new film quickly followed that has been rather quickly forgotten: The Incredible Hulk. At that time, Edward Norton played the Hulk. Nowadays, the film is an ignored speck in the MCU, from which only the villain has been brought back for a series.
After that, the Hulk appeared as a side character in several films and series, this time played by Mark Ruffalo. But even though I like many of the films, I have to admit that the development and handling of the Hulk still makes me angry today, as there is probably no hero who has been so wasted.
Hulk is one of the core Avengers:
A Tragic Hero Becomes a Laughing Stock
What makes the idea of the Hulk so interesting? Despite being reduced to mindless brawling, the Hulk is a rather tragic figure. Unlike characters like Captain America or Thor, he doesn’t really want to possess or use his powers. They usually come with 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 Avengers films. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, they even try to build an interesting relationship with Black Widow, which ends with the Hulk disappearing. However, little is done with that later.
To make matters worse, this character development is skipped rather abruptly in Avengers: Endgame. The time jump already created some dull off-screen
developments, but it’s particularly severe with the Hulk. Suddenly, he can control the Green and make numerous jokes.
Basically, I have nothing against these silliness, after all, I also like Thor: Love and Thunder, but due to this development, the Hulk feels incredibly wasted and the hope for a sensible elaboration is lost.
Hulk is a Superweapon
The Hulk resembles a dangerous superweapon in many stories. He can take on countless enemies, but he is also a danger to his surroundings and the world. In the comic story World War Hulk, this core idea is taken to the extreme.
As the Illuminati – consisting of Tony Stark, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, and Reed Richards – fear the potential danger from Hulk, they banish him to a distant planet. There, Hulk lives as a powerful gladiator and even starts a family.
However, an explosion of his spaceship, with which he was sent into exile, kills his wife and Hulk, consumed by revenge, returns to Earth to take revenge on the heroes.
Of course, one doesn’t need all the battles between the heroes, but the core idea is an interesting plot for movies. The MCU Avengers regularly used the Hulk as a superweapon, even making jokes about it. But what if the Hulk goes berserk and threatens humanity?
Such a moral question would be a pleasant direction for the MCU, which has always needed more depth.
Hulk has the Potential for a Tragic, Personal Story
The personal aspect of Bruce Banner is poorly addressed. In many Hulk stories, Bruce Banner doesn’t even want him. The forced symbiosis of the two is a gigantic burden for the scientist, as he is not just a hero, but an uncontrollable monster.
This personal dilemma has great potential for an emotional story that the MCU has missed for years, in my opinion. Even in the public perception of the various 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 superficially addressed in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War, but Bruce is not given room as a character for it, as another hero always needs to appear.
This massive burden goes so far in various stories that Bruce wants to take his own life, but Hulk prevents it.
The Handling of the Hulk Will Probably Not Change
I have given up hope for a good Hulk. A solo film is probably no longer going to happen, as Mark Ruffalo himself believes (via Hollywood Reporter). Marvel also doesn’t have the rights to a solo Hulk film, those belong to Universal.
The character of the Hulk is practically exhausted in the MCU. He is occasionally displayed as a funny, yet clever brute, but I no longer expect a personal story there.
However, he offers a lot of potential to steer the MCU in a different, more tragic direction. The MCU needs personal stories about individual heroes and not films where as many characters as possible have to be squeezed in.
Since the MCU is more focused on the big story, it would probably never happen even with existing rights.
And I believe no character embodies this wasted opportunity as much as the Hulk, who simply deserves more. But feel free to share your opinion on this topic in the comments. After Thanos, we will see a new villain in the MCU, and he is something else: 5 reasons why Dr. Doom is more frightening than Thanos in Marvel
