The Hulk has been a popular fixture in the MCU for years.
But it wasn't until later films, like Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, that the
Hulk narrative was really let off the leash.
Here's a run-down of the Hulk's hidden MCU trilogy.
Hulk kicked things off in the MCU back in 2008 with The Incredible Hulk.
The story wasn't exactly a bad one, but it wasn't a great one, either, especially considering
the caliber of so many of the Marvel movies that came after it.
Part of the issue with Hulk's non-starter in the MCU was the fact that the movie picked
up partway into the story and proceeded to go…kinda nowhere.
The movie introduces Banner after he's already become the Hulk, skipping right over his infamous
gamma radiation incident in the process.
Of course, that doesn't automatically equate to a negative, Captain Marvel also jumps right
into the story as it's already developing.
The difference, however, is that Carol Danvers' film circles back around to show how she got
her superpowers.
The Incredible Hulk simply charges ahead, assuming everyone already knows about the
whole gamma radiation thing.
Things still could have turned out alright if the film had ended in an appropriate place,
but, once again, it manages to drop the ball.
While the climactic fight against Abomination is fun, the movie ends with Banner finally
coming to terms with Hulk…which would have been great, if Marvel didn't then retcon it
in The Avengers.
Sadly, a meandering storyline is just the beginning of The Incredible Hulk's problems.
Another issue with the film is its excessively serious nature, which contrasts starkly against
Iron Man's light and witty tone.
Edward Norton's version of Bruce Banner is sulky, serious, and spends most of the film
depressed.
While the character is certainly an improvement over the version seen in Ang Lee's Hulk, which
came out half a decade earlier, it just doesn't fit the MCU's tone.
The movie just feels like it belongs in an entirely different universe than that of Tony
Stark.
Another complication that surfaced was the growing tension between Norton and Marvel
Studios.
That's not to say that Norton wasn't committed to the role, on the contrary, the Academy
Award-nominated actor brought a lot of vision and depth to the character.
But when the rubber hit the road, things just didn't fit well behind the scenes.
In the ensuing fallout, the actor and the studio parted ways, not on the most pleasant
of terms, and the Hulk found himself at a crossroads.
While characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four have all had clear
cut rights issues over the years, many of which have been ironed out over time, one
stubborn conundrum that has refused to resolve itself is the question of the Hulk's rights.
Putting it as simply as possible, the rights to Hulk are kind of "split" between Marvel
and Universal.
Marvel Studios is allowed to use the Hulk character in its movies, a right they regained
back in 2005, after Universal failed to pull the trigger on a sequel to Ang Lee's Hulk.
However, Universal still retains the "right of first refusal" for any solo Hulk film,
which allows them to distribute any Hulk movie that's made.
That complicating little concern, along with the fact that The Incredible Hulk performed
relatively poorly at the box office, pushed Marvel to abandon any efforts to make another
Hulk movie.
When everything was taken into consideration, The Incredible Hulk 2 just wouldn't have been
worth the time and effort it would have required.
While his first MCU foray seemed to peter out after just one film, Hulk would eventually
get a second chance.
Distribution rights may have made for tough sledding with a Hulk solo movie, but over
the following years, Marvel rehabilitated the Jade Giant by utilizing him as an effective
and interesting supporting character.
This began with casting Mark Ruffalo in the role, a wise move, considering the actor instantly
won over the hearts of the fans when he arrived on screen.
Banner's MCU storyline was also largely reset; he was back to not getting along with Hulk
and was clearly scared of letting "the Other Guy" get in the driver seat.
The Banner/Hulk combo made a big splash with audiences in The Avengers, leading to the
decision to have Banner pop in for a quick "counseling" session with Tony Stark in the
post-credits scene for Iron Man 3.
Banner and Hulk showed up again in the second Avengers film, in which they both play a major
role in bringing down Ultron's apocalyptic threat.
At that point in the franchise, however, Hulk and Banner were still just supporting players
in an ever-growing universe.
It wasn't until 2017 that Ruffalo and Marvel boss Kevin Feige had sat down to chat about
Hulk's future in the MCU.
It was during this conversation that Ruffalo and Feige decided to give the Hulk his own
so-called "special trilogy".
Feige and Ruffalo's conversation ended up pinning Hulk down to a single storyline that
would be split up over the course of three other characters' movies.
This plan sidestepped any distribution issues by not casting Hulk as a main character in
any of the three films, but it still allowed for plenty of time to create a character arc
with a meaningful impact, something Hulk hadn't experienced up to that point.
Things kick off at the very end of Age of Ultron, with Hulk flying off in the Avengers'
Quinjet.
From there, he remains safely tucked away in space as the events of a few more Marvel
films pass by, including Captain America: Civil War, in which his old nemesis, General
Thaddeus Ross, makes a point of questioning Hulk's whereabouts.
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place.
I feel we've done that."
"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?"
The Infinity Saga doesn't find Hulk in the flesh again until Thor: Ragnarok, in which
the "Lord of Thunder" discovers his "Friend from Work" on the garbage planet of Sakaar.
Hulk's presence throughout Ragnarok is the perfect compliment to Thor's story.
But at the same time, it also serves as a vehicle to propel his own story through the
first third of its "three-movie-arc."
After their electrifying first encounter in the Grandmaster's arena, the two friends have
a long, enlightening, and downright hilarious conversation that demonstrates a new side
to Hulk's character.
While he's still very rough around the edges, the Big Guy has clearly matured during his
time on Sakaar.
Over the course of their conversation, Hulk speaks in fuller sentences and reveals his
attachment to his new, Banner-free life.
"Banner's friend!"
"I don't even like Banner.
He's all, 'I'm into numbers and science and stuff.'"
Nevertheless, shortly afterward, the pair visit the Quinjet, where a recording of Natasha
Romanoff helps Banner regain control for the first time in years.
From there, the good doctor joins the newly-minted team of "Revengers" and heads off to Asgard
to help Thor unseat Hela.
It's on Asgard that the first portion of the character's "trilogy" concludes.
In a movie filled with Hulk smashing, arguably the most heroic moment comes when Banner willingly
allows Hulk to regain control, knowing he may never come back, in order to save Asgard.
The film ends with the character still Hulked out and living on the refugee ship with the
surviving Asgardians…headed for Earth.
Things quickly went south for the Hulk during Infinity War, which was released the following
year.
The third Avengers film opens with the Asgardian ship already overrun by Thanos, and Hulk ends
up right in the thick of it only a few minutes into the film.
But this time, things don't go according to plan, and the Green Machine ends up down for
the count after taking a few blows from his savvy opponent.
At that point, Heimdall uses the last of his strength to summon the Bifrost and send Hulk
hurtling back to Earth, where he arrives in NYC, back in Banner form.
From then on, Hulk flat-out refuses to join in the fight.
Fans believed that Hulk would play some part in the fight against Thanos, but the deliberate
withdrawal of the character after Infinity War's opening scene ultimately makes his arc
that much more interesting.
The truth is, Hulk had been little more than a pawn in the Avengers' plans up until this
point, often only whipped out to save the day when danger was about to strike.
His time on Sakaar gave him a taste of freedom, and the Big Guy liked it.
Co-director Joe Russo explains it best.
"People speculated whether there was some fear on the Hulk's part about having to face
Thanos again, but I think ultimately what it is is that he's tired of playing hero."
In the lead up to Infinity War, Mark Ruffalo revealed in an interview that Bruce Banner
and the Hulk were "headed for a showdown."
While the hint seemed to point towards a violent conclusion, the rest of Hulk's three-part
story actually ended up playing out in an unexpected way.
For a character who was so often used as an explosive plot device, or as a way to entertain
smash-happy fans, the pivotal moment for Hulk and Banner ended up being relatively quiet.
Not only that, but it actually took place off-screen.
When audiences caught up with Hulk again in Endgame, they instead ran into "Professor
Hulk."
The long-awaited union of the two personalities was the result of 18 months of lab-based gamma
exposure, leading to a perfect combination of Banner and Hulk.
"I put the brains and the brawn together.
And now look at me.
Best of both worlds."
While the transformative scene itself was originally meant for Infinity War, it ended
up being the perfect way to launch the third and final part of the Hulk's arc.
As Endgame plays out, so too does the third and final portion of Hulk's three-part-story
arc.
Looking back, it's hard to believe that this is the same character who, just a handful
of years earlier, had maintained a successful gladiatorial career half a galaxy away.
By Endgame, Hulk is refined, thoughtful, and caring.
He even watches his past self smashing his way through New York City and declares it
"gratuitous."
The Banner part of his intellect allows the Hulk character to finally interact as a normal
adult human being.
He's instrumental in convincing Thor to stop sulking and pick up Stormbreaker for another
go at Thanos.
He's also able to process the loss of Black Widow without causing much physical damage.
Most important of all, however, it's Hulk who tracks down the Ancient One and convinces
her to surrender the Time Stone.
Consequently, Hulk is also the only one shown the negative effects that stealing the Infinity
Stones would have on time.
This places the responsibility squarely in his hands to make sure everything gets put
back in place after the Avengers' victory.
While the third portion of Hulk's three-movie story arc is packed with some great stuff,
there's one thing that stands out from all of the rest: reversing Thanos' snap.
Ultimately, it ends up being Hulk and Hulk alone who wields Stark's Infinity Gauntlet
and brings everyone back from the dead.
It's an utterly selfless move, and one that Hulk wouldn't have volunteered for at any
other time in his life.
The added fact that the radiation emanating from the gauntlet is "mostly gamma" lends
a pleasing touch of destiny to the act as he takes the gauntlet and snaps his fingers.
To put it in his own words, it's like he was "made for this."
It's a triumphant and breathtakingly worthy way to end a story that began all the way
back at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
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