The Incredible Hulkhas always been the odd movie out of theMCU, but the franchise’s latest release makes it the most relevant it’s been in almost two decades. 2008 marked the iconic start of the MCU withIron Manbeing a huge success for the superhero genre. The impact of that film on the studio cannot be overstated, but it does mean that another 2008 Marvel release is often overshadowed. Even thoughThe Incredible Hulkwasn’t a bomb, it has achieved nowhere near the same amount of reverence asIron Manhas.
The Hulk had a difficult MCU debut from the start with many obstacles affecting the film from production even to post-release. Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in the 2008 film, but he left the franchise after creative differences with Marvel.Mark Ruffalo was recast as the herosoon after, but the continuity of the character in the MCU had already taken a hit becausethere’s never been anIncredible Hulksequel. Marvel’s black sheep film may have faded into obscurity if it weren’t for the MCU’s latest release, granting it a new wind 17 years later.
The Incredible Hulk Never Quite Fit The MCU
Before Disney’s acquisition, Marvel Studios was not a proper distributor and relied on third parties to distribute their films. While Paramount Pictures distributed the first twoIron Manfilms,Captain America: The First Avenger, andThor,Universal Pictures had the rights to the Hulkfor the next 15 years. Even though the MCU was still able to produce solo Hulk films,Universal would have first refusal and would receive a larger chunk of the profits. This has deterred Marvel from making anyIncredible Hulksequels and has affected the original film’s legacy.
With how little the film was referenced throughout the franchise,The Incredible Hulkbecame an overlooked movie that never quite fit into the MCU.
Disney seemingly got the rights to distribute the Hulk back in 2023, but so much time has passed since 2008 that it seemed likeThe Incredible Hulkwould be doomed to fade into obscurity. The film did gain some traction when the late William Hurt reprised his role of Thaddeus Ross inCaptain America: Civil War, but the character wasn’t a huge factor in the subsequent MCU films. With how little the film was referenced throughout the franchise,The Incredible Hulkbecame an overlooked movie that never quite fit into the MCU.
The Incredible Hulk Is Now Impossible To Ignore
Almost two decades after its 2008 release,The Incredible Hulkhas become relevant in the MCU once again and is now impossible to ignore.Ross is a major character inCaptain America: Brave New World, acting as an opposition to Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Though Harrison Ford now plays the character, he is confirmed to play the same version of Ross fromThe Incredible Hulk. With his newfound presidency, Ross’ war on Bruce Banner is constantly referenced as a reason why he’s unfit for office.
8 Ways Captain America: Brave New World Is The Incredible Hulk 2
There are several exciting ways in which Captain America: Brave New World is basically a sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, 17 years later.
Brave New Worldalso featured some rare appearances by otherIncredible Hulkcharacters, withTim Blake Nelson returning as Samuel Sterns and Liv Tyler making a cameo as Betty Ross. Tim Roth previously returned as Emil Blonsky, but this was the first time that characters from the 2008 film were returning to the big screen outside of Banner and Ross.Brave New Worldconfirms the events ofThe Incredible Hulkas canon, and it’s even made it relevant all these years later. For a film that was often looked over by fans, it’s finally marking its place in the MCU.
