Hulk is one of the most belovedMarvel Cinematic Universecharacters of all time, and due to changes in Marvel’s ability to appeal to different audiences,the franchise may have the perfect opportunity to feature him in a new way soon. Despite there being manyMCU movies ahead, there are not any traces of a new Hulk-centered project. With so much potential for where the character could go and many characters related to Bruce Banner in the franchise, this is very disappointing.
In many ways,Captain America: Brave New Worldfunctioned as anIncredible Hulksequel, although it did not feature the Hulk himself.This was an odd choice, which speaks to the necessity for more Hulk stories in the franchise.While Red Hulk was an interesting foe, none of the essential brutality of the Hulk and his powers could be represented well in his clash against Sam Wilson. However, with changes to how Marvel approaches certain projects coming through, this could change in the near future.
So Many Of The Hulk’s Marvel Comic Stories Are Effectively Impossible For The MCU To Adapt
Too Many Hulk Stories Are Too Dark Or Brutal For The MCU
Many of theHulk’s stories are hard to adapt for the MCUbecause of how dark and brutal they are.Hulk is an inherently violent character, and the best of his stories are the ones that get to use that violence.Many of Hulk’scomic book stories were so popular because of the explicit violence that they were able to show. This included the ripping in half of certain characters, like Wolverine inUltimate Wolverine vs. Hulk, which resulted in a gratuitous amount of blood and gore.
This struggle against his own body, and his own mortality, are incredibly dark ideas of body horror that are important to Hulk stories.
However, even when not confronting this kind of “Hulk smash” violence, Hulk stories have also been plagued by darker themes.A glimpse of this was shown inThe Avengers, where Bruce admitted “I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spat it out.“This struggle against his own body, and his own mortality, are incredibly dark ideas of body horror that are important to Hulk stories. However, with the need to appeal to all audiences, these stories have had to generally be avoided.
The MCU’s New R-Rated Changes Make The Hulk’s Previously Impossible Stories Possible
Marvel Is Showing A Greater Willingness To Pursue R-Rated Stories
Fortunately, Marvel seems to be moving forward with a greater willingness to pursue R-rated stories.Deadpool & Wolverinewas a huge success, andDaredevil: Born Againhas been met with great acclaim.With plans for aPunisherR-rated specialahead, it seems that the MCU has become more willing to consider these stories on a case-by-case basis. This could allow for the franchise to tell some darker and more violent Hulk stories in the years ahead.
There have beenrumors of aHulk vs. Wolverinefilm, and this is the kind of project that many would be excited about.Using terrific violence to showcase Hulk’s rage, this film, or one like it, could allow audiences to see Hulk as the terrifying and powerful force that he is.This has been diminished far too greatly in recent Marvel projects, and the prospect of the franchise allowing brutal gore and violence alongside darker themes of Bruce’s own duality could make for some compelling stories ahead.
Why An R-Rated Hulk Story Could Make Sense For The MCU Despite The Hero’s Current Story
Smart Hulk Needs To Become Savage Hulk Once Again
Hulk in the MCU is currentlySmart Hulk, and this needs to be undone in the near future. Many hope for aWorld War Hulkmovie to occur in the coming years. That comic event began when Hulk’s wife on Sakaar was killed, sending him into a violent rage.The MCU could instead use the death of Skaar, She-Hulk, or any other Hulk-adjacent character to this same end.Sending Smart Hulk back into his state of savagery could make for an excellent opportunity to tell some of Hulk’s best stories.
To capture the full extent of the horror and violence that would come along with this,the film would likely need an R-rating.For the terror of the Hulk to be genuinely captured, he must be able to inflict horrifying and disturbing violence. Understanding this kind of destruction and its consequences could help to reinventHulk’s timelinefor the big screen. The character has too much of an excellent legacy to keep him in his subdued form for much longer.
I’m Convinced The MCU Could Totally Save The Hulk’s Storyline By Adapting 1 2018 Marvel Comic
Many of the current issues with the Hulk’s MCU arc could be addressed by adapting one comic story that offers a chance at a revival of sorts.
The future of the MCU is still coming into focus, butit seems likely that Hulk will be a big and important part of it.He remains one of the few original Avengers who is still linked with the team, although his character has been taken a great distance away from his comic book roots. To get back to those, theMCUcould give Hulk a new and very different onscreen interpretation. The studio’s willingness to make R-rated movies could be a significant help with this.
