Back in 2017, we examined what I called the “shady” way Marvel Studio continued Bruce Banner / the Hulk’s story throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe by wisely adding the green behemoth as seasoning on a number of superpowered stories. The reasoning, we speculated then and still believe to be true to this day, boiled down to the deal Marvel struck with Universal for 2003’s Hulk; Universal holds the rights of first refusal, meaning that they have say in whatever Hulk-led projects that are being pitched, which basically puts a hold on the production of new Hulk movies until Universal says so. Marvel still holds the film production rights to the Hulk, granting them the ability to include the Hulk as a character throughout the MCU.
That was nearly a decade ago. Since then, the MCU has gone through the Multiverse and is about to fly head first into Avengers: Doomsday in December. The Hulk was smart AF in 2019’s Endgame, but after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we aren’t surprised that reports say we may not see the Hulk until the Doomsday sequel Avengers: Secret Wars, which won’t be released until December 17, 2027.
That said, after seeing Banner Hulk Out in Brand New Day, we figured it made sense to run through the Hulk’s MCU history, giving you a taste of the life Banner’s lived since being discovered.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Director(s): Louis Leterrier
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, Christina Cabot
What Was Hulk Doing?: Being introduced, avenging the 2003 film
After 2003’s Ang Lee-directed Hulk failed to muster up desire for a sequel, Universal and Marvel provided a different take on the Hulk story into this 2008 film, which was led by Edward Norton. Interesting enough, Mark Ruffalo, the current Bruce Banner / Hulk, was the first decision for this iteration of the Hulk; when Kevin Feige chose to not bring Norton back to reprise the role, that brought on Ruffalo, who’s been the Hulk ever since.
That said, this film’s Abomination (shout out Tim Roth) and been retained throughout the MCU, as has its Thaddeus Ross, with William Hurt being seen in Captain America: Civil War. One has to imagine that the bulk of this story falls by the wayside when Marvel can’t continue the core Hulk story.
The Avengers (2012)
Director(s): Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson
What Was Hulk Doing?: Always being angry
Four years later, Banner was initially recruited because of the gamma radiation being given off from the Tesseract; Banner’s history with gamma rays made him a ringer for tracing what the Tesseract was giving off. Banner unleashes the Hulk during the commotion caused by Loki’s henchmen, ultimately doing battle with Thor.
Later, we see Banner reveal why it’s been so easy for him to become the Hulk; instead of trying to tamper down his anger so he doesn’t become the Hulk, Banner chooses to stay angry, which gives him a switch to flip when the Hulk is needed. Hulk helps save New York, and has a goated moment throughout the MCU for how he manhandle’s Loki in Avengers Tower. By the film’s end, Hulk is a card-carrying member of the Avengers!
Iron Man 3 (2014)
Director(s): Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stéphanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley
What Was Hulk Doing?: Sleeping
No, Banner nor the Hulk are featured in Iron Man 3; we don’t see Banner until the post-credits scene, where it’s revealed that the story of the film was Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) retelling the story to Banner, who has been sleeping. No worry for Stark, as he has more to say about other things anyway.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Director(s): Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson
What Was Hulk Doing?: SMASHING!
Lowkey, the Hulk screwed up during Age of Ultron. It ultimately wasn’t Hulk’s fault, but Hulk still has to own up to what happened. Hulk is part of the team of Avengers who raided the Hydra facility in Sokovia, the one that gave Wanda Maximoff her powers from an Infinity Stone. Banner and Stark learn of an AI living within the gem in Loki’s scepter and use it to power Stark’s global defense system; instead, the AI takes over the system, unleashing Ultron on the Earth.
Meanwhile, during regular Avengers maneuvers, Hulk is part of a group that travels to Johannesburg to stop Kalue’s vibranium deal. Hulk, under the control of Wanda, turns on his Avengers crew and the city of Johannesburg, forcing Stark to bring out his Hulkbuster Iron Man suit to deal with the savage beast. Hulk’s destruction in Johannesburg brings heat to the Avengers crew, and while Black Widow seems to be able to subdue the Hulk when he’s going too overboard, by the film’s end—which introduces the Sokovia Accords, which aims to put a fist down on superpowered beings—Hulk is boarding a Quinjet and leaving Earth, afraid of what would happen if he loses control once more.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Director(s): Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins
What Was Hulk Doing?: Intergalactic smashing
In Ragnarok, we got a taste of what the Hulk had been doing while away from Earth, which found Hulk on Sakaar, being a part of the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions (and losing to Thor, who crash landed on Sakaar earlier). Upon discovering the Quinjet Hulk used to get to Sakaar, Hulk destroyed it, but a voice recording of the Black Widow turned him back to Bruce Banner, something that hadn’t happened since Hulk had been on Sokovia. Banner eventually makes his way to Asgard with Thor, thus bringing him back to our realm. Phew.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Director(s): The Russo Brothers
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt
What Was Hulk Doing?: Getting destroyed by Thanos
At the beginning of Infinity War, the ship carrying the people of Asgard is destroyed, leaving Thor beaten and captured and Loki injured. Before Thanos kills Loki, the Hulk is summoned and attempts to do battle with Thanos—who is not currently holding any of the Stones. Sadly, Thanos whups Hulk’s ass something fierce, to the point where Hulk has to be summoned to Earth. When on Earth, Banner is the one to inform the Avengers about what Thanos is doing, and for the rest of the film, Hulk does not want to reappear. It got so bad that Banner had to use Stark’s Hulkbuster armor to actually help out in battle. Banner ends the film as one of the survivors of the battle and The Blip.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Director(s): Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law
What Was Hulk Doing?: Chatting
This appearance is brief, and happens during the mid-credits scene; with the film taking place in the ‘90s, this mid-credits scene finds a present-day Avengers (Banner included) discussing the Transmitter Pager device, which Captain Marvel would use to communicate with Nick Fury. Right on schedule, Captain Marvel appears to ask where Fury is.
That’s it.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Director(s): The Russo Brothers
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin
What Was Hulk Doing?: Being the MVP
By the time we get to Endgame, Banner has found a way to combine the strength of the Hulk with the smarts of Banner, creating a huge, intelligent beast that helps build the time machine needed to pull off these Infinity Stone time heists required to reverse what Thanos did. Banner even helps bring in Thor from New Asgard before time traveling to the Battle of New York.
With the Stones in tact, the Hulk is the only obvious choice to put on the Gauntlet the Avengers made and, with one final snap, successfully reverse what Thanos did in Infinity War. W Hulk!
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Director(s): Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, Tony Leung
What Was Hulk Doing?: Observing the Ten Rings
In a mid-credits scene, Banner (who’s arm is in a sling, reverting to human to heal his arm after the Snap) and Captain Marvel are hologram’d in to speak with Wong, Shang-Chi, and Katy Chen about the Ten Rings.
That’s it!
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Director(s): (various)
Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Segarra
What Was Hulk Doing?: Helping out the family
It’s on a road trip with his cousin Jennifer that we first see the Inhibitor Bruce wears, which allows him to control turning into the Hulk. After a Sakaaran craft flies near them, Jennifer crashed the car she was driving in, and it’s soon discovered that an open wound of Jennifer’s comes into contact with Bruce’s blood, which enters her bloodstream and immediately turns her green, giving her similar powers to her cousin.
Upon this discovery, Bruce took Jennifer to his private island on Mexico, where he spent time becoming “Smart Hulk” after the Blip. His plan was to keep her there to help her control her She-Hulk tendencies, but after a while, Jennifer left to continue her work as a lawyer (with some superheroing on the side). Banner found the Sakaaran craft from earlier and left for Sakaar, where he discovered that he had a son, Skaar, whom he brought back to Earth.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Director(s): Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, Mark Ruffalo
What Was Hulk Doing?: Teaching
Bruce Banner is found being a professor at Empire State University, teaching a class of students who also seem to be diehard Avengers heads. It’s there that Peter Parker talks to Banner about his Inhibitor, which Peter tries to use to control his arachnid powers running rampant.
Banner is then used by Jean Grey—who removes the Inhibitor, allowing Banner to transform into Smart Hulk—to tear through the Damage Control offices while Spider-Man and the Punisher try to stop him.
Spider-Man tried to use one of his own inhibitors on Hulk, but soon realizes that due to Jean Grey’s possession, the Hulk has reached a new, more massive form, that becomes enraged. After beating the crap out of Spider-Man inside and on the side of the building, it’s Spider-Man’s pleas that he’s “Peter” and was Banner’s friend that somehow got through to the Hulk, who realized what he was doing and allowed the debris from the building that Spider-Man webbed to him to pull him off of the building.
Later, it’s revealed that due to all of this back-and-forth, Banner has been able to not only revert from the Hulk form naturally, but he’s restored his ability to revert back and forth from the Hulk form like before.
It looks like Banner lost his job, though, and is currently in a psych ward, wondering if anyone else got hurt while the public questions what made him cause so much damage once again.
It’s an interesting spot for Banner (and the Hulk) to be in as we head into Doomsday. He’s been a vital asset to the MCU since the Battle of New York; surely this isn’t the end of Banner and the Hulk, right? We will have to see if / when THE HULK WILL RETURN to MCU projects.
