While many consider Nick Fury's Iron Man cameo as the true beginning of the MCU, The Incredible Hulk played a more integral role in the franchise's origins. While Nick Fury has been a vital character in the MCU, responsible for bringing the Avengers together for the first time, Samuel L. Jackson's Iron Man appearance was not as important as one aspect of The Incredible Hulk. This may come as a surprise, with many - including Marvel Studios up until Phase 5 - neglecting the film as MCU canon.
Due to complications such as Edward Norton departing the MCU with Mark Ruffalo taking on the role of Bruce Banner/Hulk, The Incredible Hulk is oftentimes considered inconsequential to the overall MCU story. This was only continued by the lack of appearances from other characters in that film before Phase 5, which Captain America: Brave New World is rectifying by bringing back the Leader, Betty Ross, and Thunderbolt Ross. However, one specific cameo from The Incredible Hulk MCU movie proves that the film was the official launch of the series, and why it was never completely removed from MCU canon.
Tony Stark's Incredible Hulk Cameo Officially Launched The MCU
The aspect of the film in question was Tony Stark's cameo at the end of The Incredible Hulk. After being disgraced by the events of The Incredible Hulk, the film's post-credits scene featured the late William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross being approached by Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. The credit scene continued the set-up of The Avengers from Nick Fury's Iron Man cameo, only in a way that officially launched the MCU.
While Fury's cameo was important, he has never been a character with his own MCU franchise. Fury has always appeared in other films, despite playing an integral role in the overarching story. Conversely, Tony Stark's groundbreaking appearance in The Incredible Hulk proved that the crossover of franchises was possible and that it was Marvel Studios' intended plan. Without this scene in The Incredible Hulk, Fury's appearance in Iron Man could have been disregarded as failed set-up, something common in early superhero movies such as Green Lantern. Instead, though, Stark’s Incredible Hulk cameo fully established the MCU’s crossover potential, kickstarting the entire MCU as it is known today.
The Incredible Hulk's Crossover Set-Up Explains Why It Was Never Retconned
Similarly, Stark's appearance in The Incredible Hulk cements why the film was never retconned. While some other connections to the MCU were put in place, such as Ross appearing briefly in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, most aspects of The Incredible Hulk were completely disregarded by the MCU. This led many to think the film was being retconned, and that the events of the film were never canon to the Hulk's character.
However, this one scene from Tony Stark proves why Marvel Studios never fully committed to retconning The Incredible Hulk. Despite the film's unclarity in the MCU canon before Phase 5, Stark's post-credit scene offers up a vital footstone in what the MCU became. In establishing the crossover potential of Marvel properties, Stark's cameo in the film was crucial to setting up the Infinity Saga as a whole, meaning removing The Incredible Hulk from canon was never a possibility for the MCU.
