Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's What If...? episode 3, "What If...The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?"

In Iron Man 2 and Thor, but also The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton's Bruce Banner and his giant green other half (which surprisingly got a good amount of screen time). Furthermore, this new episode adds to some of the concepts involving Hulk for Phase 4, showing that Marvel is ready to reintegrate some of the film's best parts that had the most potential beyond Banner himself.

In What If...">Captain America wasn't on Fury's list). Eventually, it was revealed that Hank Pym was the killer, seeking revenge against Fury for the death of his daughter Hope van Dyne who became a SHIELD agent in this reality, taking after her mother Janet. However, the episode spent quite a bit of time at Culver University, the site where Edward Norton's version of Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk to fight General Ross and the US military in the 2008 film.

Related: The MCU Showed How Hulk Can Die - Is It Possible?

All in all, the inclusion of The Incredible Hulk is rather interesting, as it seemingly communicates a greater desire on Marvel's part to reference the film and its characters beyond just Banner (who's voiced by and resembles actor Mark Ruffalo rather than Norton, who took over as the Hulk in 2012's She-Hulk series coming to Disney+ in 2022, which could also reference 2008's The Incredible Hulk even more.

While The Incredible Hulk has long been seen as the black sheep of the MCU (right next to Thor: The Dark World), the film was one the first to feature the foundational connective tissue that would form the greater MCU fans know today. Despite the fact that the film has its share of problems, it looks like Marvel Studios is looking to salvage its strongest parts (like Ross and Abomination), while also taking the time to revisit one of its most entertaining and impressive action sequences in this latest episode of What If...?.

In any case, it's going to be interesting to see how chapters of the MCU choose to reference The Incredible Hulk and its characters. Furthermore, it's no secret that Banner and the Hulk are in a much different place than they were over a decade ago, as they've now reached the point of compromise where they've become Professor Hulk. Be that as it may, Marvel's Studios would be remiss if they're not planning a Hulk/Abomination rematch at some point down the line in Marvel's Phase 4.

More: The MCU Finally Brought Back Another Forgotten Phase 1 Character

Marvel's What If...? releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

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