The MCU Just Made Hulk's Return In 2025 Far More Urgent Despite Marvel Ignoring The Best Opportunity

By Kai Young

Published Jan 2, 2025

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Marvel Studios' best chance to bring Bruce Banner's Hulk back to the Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. In the Multiverse Saga, the Hulk is still incredibly important, which makes it even more confusing that Marvel Studios seems to have sidelined the original Avenger.

Following his evolution into the Smart Hulk, Bruce Banner's most recent appearance in What If...? established an important friendship for the veteran MCU hero, but this makes his absence from one live-action movie even more prevalent and curious.

Smart Hulk on his way to space in She-Hulk Attorney at Law

Following his appearances in several Multiverse Saga projects, most recently What If...? season 3, the next logical place for Bruce Banner to appear in the MCU would be in 2025's Captain America: Brave New World. The Phase 5 movie, while spotlighting Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, includes a number of Hulk-related characters, some of whom are returning to the MCU after almost two decades away. Liv Tyler is returning as Betty Ross and Tim Blake Nelson will reprise the role of Samuel Sterns, now operating as the supervillain, the Leader.

As well as these iconic Hulk-related characters, Thaddeus Ross will also be featured in Captain America: Brave New World, with Harrison Ford succeeding the late William Hurt in the role. Ross will be transformed into the Red Hulk in Brave New World, and this evolution makes Bruce Banner's absence even more confusing. There has been speculation Mark Ruffalo will actually appear in Brave New World, but neither Ruffalo nor Marvel Studios have confirmed this. What If...? season 3 might have made this even more likely, however.

While they have had little interaction in the live-action MCU, What If...? season 3's premiere, "What If... the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?," made the friendship between Bruce Banner and Sam Wilson hugely important. Sam Wilson's experience with PTSD and trauma as an Air Force veteran makes him the perfect ally and confidant to Bruce Banner, who struggles with balancing his human and Hulk personas and with the destruction he leaves in his wake. This was a touching addition to What If...?, and could easily be repeated in live-action.

Sam Wilson's Captain America and President Ross' Red Hulk in Captain America Brave New World

Marvel Already Revealed How Sam Wilson Can Beat Red Hulk 9 Years Ago

There's been some doubt about Sam Wilson's ability to fight the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World, but Marvel already proved this possible.

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While Mark Ruffalo hasn't yet been confirmed to be appearing among the cast of Captain America: Brave New World, the events of What If...? season 3 have proven his inclusion would be well worth it. Not only would this be able to bring some meaning to the reintroductions of Thaddeus Ross, Samuel Sterns and Betty Ross, but this could also allow Banner to seek some guidance from Sam Wilson. This could set them both up to be firm friends and more formidable heroes in the MCU's crossover events.