Iron Man may be the first hero introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe when his film debuted in 2008, but the second hero is just as important. Though no proper sequel to The Incredible Hulk has arrived since it arrived almost twenty years ago, the character has become a proper focal point of the MCU. Not only one of the founding members of the Avengers, but one of the most important people in human history, thanks to his ability to wield the Infinity Stones and bring half of humanity back to life, The Hulk has become one of the centerpieces of the MCU. Not only do fans love him, but his role has only gotten better.
Despite this, and his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe only getting more and more integral to the story, things are starting to not add up. Yes, the willing suspension of disbelief needed to buy into the gamma-monster that is The Hulk is a lot, but the popularity of the character in the films and shows (like the comics) means that inconsistencies have developed. Of course, we’re looking forward to seeing The Hulk return to the big screen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but the whole time, we’ll be thinking about these questions that are still confounding us after two decades.
5) What Happens to Banner/Hulk When the Other Is in Control?
It’s clear that when Bruce or The Hulk is the one “in charge” of their shared body, the other takes a backseat. This can be seen in practice when Hulk transitions back into Banner during the events of Thor: Ragnarok, with the human side of the character coming out for the first time in two years. In the dialogue, Banner notes that being trapped in the body was like being “locked in a trunk” while The Hulk had the keys, but also appeared to imply he at least had a passing understanding of what was going on around him when he says, “Maybe the fact that I was trapped for two years inside of a monster made me a little weird!”
So where do they go? And what happens to them there? Is the Hulk’s rage defined by being stuck in this limbo state between bouts? The Avengers movies make this all more complicated, not only the first film’s confirmation that Banner is fully in control of when he can transform, but also Infinity War, showing Hulk refusing to come out to face Thanos. It’s a big side of The Hulk that remains nebulous because it doesn’t “need” to be explained, but Marvel still should.
4) How Strong Is He Really?
Much like the comics that have inspired the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Hulk we see on the big screen has a…fluctuating strength level that means he’s only ever as strong as the filmmakers need him to be at any given point. To that end, there have been countless displays of his sheer power throughout the films: bringing down a Leviathan during the Chitauri invasion of New York, collapsing a building in Johannesburg (perhaps not a brag), and battling the Asgardian wolf Fenris solo.
No shortage of moments in the MCU prove The Hulk is the strongest there is, but the measurable and quantifiable moments seldom feel like they’re on the same level. On top of that, there’s not really a singular moment across the entire MCU that we can point to as “the” thing that shows his immense power. In the pages of comics, Hulk catches a mountain, picks up an island and moves it, and even has a fight against Ironclad that echoes across the multiverse. Nothing in the MCU has reached these heights, so…how strong is he?
3) What Did He Do During the Five-Year Gap?
One of the biggest swings that Marvel Studios made during Avengers: Endgame was not only killing off Thanos in the first act, but then jumping forward in time by five years. While watching the film, this is seen as a radical story decision, one that puts all of the characters in new and different places narratively but which also means the world has fully been reshaped. In the end, it has also proven to be a gigantic headache for the MCU overall, as the question of whether or not someone survived the snap continues to linger and often creates plot problems for other films.
To that end, one of the biggest updates in the five-year gap that Endgame reveals is that Hulk and the Banner have essentially become one being, with the smarts and personality of Banner but the green skin and strength of the Hulk. Now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe largely used the first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to explain how this happened, but gaps remain, and the story itself doesn’t fully add up with the Hulk that we see in Endgame. As a result, even if it’s a story decision that makes sense, it still needs additional context.
2) Why Didn’t He Actually Do Anything During Infinity War?
The opening of Avengers: Infinity War cements Thanos’ status as the biggest bad of the entire MCU by having him completely lay the smackdown on Hulk in humiliating fashion. This defeat fully defines the Hulk’s trajectory for the film, but leaves the MCU with its biggest “What If” that even the animated show that asked that question never answered: What if The Hulk actually did something during Avengers: Infinity War?
It’s not that the character didn’t have an opportunity to do this, as the film even sets up his return in a major way. Banner suits up during the fight for Wakanda by wearing the Hulkbuster Iron Man armor, even confronting the Hulk to convince him to come out. As fans may know, Infinity War cut this scene out entirely (The Russos have noted that test audiences didn’t like it), but all the set-up for the moment is there with no payoff. It’s also yet another example of the MCU taking a major character off the board because their presence might fix the story entirely in favor of the heroes.
1) Who Is the Mother of His Child?
One of the biggest lingering plot threads to be revealed in Marvel’s The Multiverse Saga happens at the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Not only do none of the larger threads with the titular character have anywhere to go since it’s unclear when she’ll return, but the series also introduces Hulk’s son, Skaar, at the very end. Since then? No indicator about what comes next or any details at all about Skaar. All we know about Skaar is that he was clearly born during the Hulk’s time on Sakaar prior to Thor: Ragnarok.
Who is the mother of his child? Does Skaar like his father at all or resent him? How strong is Skaar compared to his old man? Can Skaar rock a better haircut? We have no idea, and so far his introduction seems like the MCU throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, because there is zero chance this is addressed at all in Spider-Man: Brand New Day or in Avengers: Doomsday.