Here’s How Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Could Become A Phase 5 MCU Villain

There are quite a few reasons why Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk could ultimately become an MCU villain in Phase 5. Nearly a decade had passed since

By Mabel Judith Andrady
December 13,2021
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There are quite a few reasons why Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk could ultimately become an MCU villain in Phase 5. Nearly a decade had passed since the Infinity Saga first introduced the world to Thanos. The Mad Titan first appeared in 2019’s Avengers: Infinity War. However, he was only a supporting character in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Josh Brolin’s portrayal of Thanos in Infinity War was unsurpassed, and the villain was immediately elevated to legendary status.

In Loki’s case, there was only one participant. Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror––or at least a more excellent Variant of the character known as He Who Remains––was introduced to viewers in the Disney+ series finale. A new villain is about to rise due to Kang’s entrance. What if the Avengers themselves become the next target of a threat from the outside?

World War Hulk

world-war-hulk
world-war-hulk

Marvel Studios’ World War Hulk was recently rumored to be in development. After being exiled by the Illuminati, the Hulk returns to Earth in World War Hulk, a comic book storyline. His life was drastically altered in Thor: Ragnarok when he was sent to the planet Sakaar to fight in a gladiatorial contest and become a gladiator.

Even if it’s his fault, the Hulk has already been exiled, so trying the same ruse again might not be the best idea. There’s probably a growing sense of unease among those who share the planet with so many Hulks. As a result, they wield unbridled authority, and their rages are uncontrollable. The Illuminati, for example, should act now if they want to be proactive rather than reactive.

According to rumors, Marvel Studios is preparing to film about the Illuminati, a secret society. There’s already a strong field of contenders, ranging from Namor to Reed Richards to Doctor Strange.

There’s a good chance this group will fail in their attempt to contain the various Hulk mayulks who will wage a full-scale war again who are trying to silence them. All of the characters’ reactions would be unique. Jennifer Walters, for example, is probably not going to go on a city-destroying rampage in search of an Illuminati member––but Red Hulk or Skaar might be.

This leaves us with an unanswered question: why would our home planet turn against The Hulk? After all, he was the one who snapped everyone back to life, which is something that most people know by now. While this is true, there is a counterargument that it doesn’t matter all that much.

The Green Avenger 

Bruce Banner as Hulk

Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which introduced him to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time. Iron Man’s success overshadowed the movie, but the Hulk’s journey had just begun.

With Mark Ruffalo as one of The Avengers, the character went from fighting the Abomination to becoming an Avenger in 2012. Despite his lack of natural teamwork, it all worked out for the best. This is where he essential important bonds with other superheroes, such as his friendship with Tony Stark, feelings for Natasha Romanoff, and his potential future bromance with Thor.

Next, there was Age of Ultron, in which the character was plunged into despair. While his fling with Black Widow was short-lived, his departure from Earth following their fight with Stark’s murder robot was a success. In Thor: Ragnarok, this resulted in a reimagining of the character. For years, the green giant had a ball as a Gladiator on Sakaar—but without Banner at the wheel.

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Banner were at risk of a rift, but they were able to mend their fences in time to take on Hela and her army. The peace, however, was short-lived. Here comes Thanos. Bruce Banner was unable to coax the terrified Hulk out of his hiding place after the Mad Titan beat him to a pulp. Bruce suffered yet another defeat as a result of being encased in the Hulkbuster armor.

Changing To Smart-Hulk

Smart Hulk
Smart Hulk

The character underwent the most radical transformation yet when he became Smart Hulk. Audiences were introduced to the creation of Banner’s genius, which included the Hulk’s strength and Bruce’s intellect, at the outset of Endgame.

This shift persisted until the film’s conclusion, though several factors remain unclear. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced audiences to Banner’s miraculous return to human form. She-Hulk’s earliest footage shows Banner as Smart Hulk once more, but this time with a healed arm, creating yet another loop.

She-Hulk

She Hulk

Both the present and the past of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk are shrouded in mystery. Jennifer Walters is here to help. Walters is Bruce Banner’s cousin. She transforms into an entirely new species of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk after receiving a life-saving transfusion from him.

In spite of her lack of brute strength, She-Hulk retains her intellect while hulking out. It takes Jennifer much less time than it took Bruce to embrace his green side in Avengers: Endgame. In addition to being a vigilante, Jenn is also a talented artist. As a former prosecutor, she is no stranger to the courtroom and actively seeks to uphold the rule of law. However, She-Hulk has been a member of both the Avengers and Fantastic Four.

For Tatiana Maslany to become the She-Hulk, the MCU has to make use of the blood transfusion angle. The real question is whether it occurred before or after Endgame. In addition, how will Bruce play a role in the story of She-Hulk? As seen in the Disney+ Day trailer, he appears to play the role of a mentor to Jennifer, guiding her as she learns to deal with her newfound abilities and how to master them.

The return of Abomination, the nemesis from The Incredible Hulk, is another big part of She-Hulk. The first time since that film he’ll get a proper MCU appearance—Shang-cameo Chi’s isn’t included. In the wake of that Hulk’s return, what other characters might Disney+’s upcoming series feature?

Skaar: Hulk’s Son

Skaar: Hulk's Son

It’s been reported that Skaar, the son of Hulk, will be introduced in She-Hulk. As depicted in Marvel Comics, Hulk fathered Skaar by marrying Caiera the Oldstrong on Sakaar. A cocoon comprising the boy fell into a lake of fire after his mother’s death.

He emerged from the cocoon at some point and went on to become a formidable force. This young Hulk, unlike Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, possesses a unique ability: the Old Power. With this, the user can connect to and manipulate the Earth and stone of any planet, as well as gain a wide range of associated powers, as if they were wielding the Power Cosmic.

When Skaar deceived his mother in an effort to prevent Galactus from devouring their planet, he was exiled like his father. In order to avenge the death of his father, he set his sights on Earth. Is it possible for Skaar to exist in the MCU with this much information? There are some ways to look at this.

Among these is the fact that there are numerous Sakaar adventures that have never been filmed. An abandoned son, for example, is a great way to add some retroactive continuity. Hulk’s time in the Blip could also be examined from a different perspective. While the Avengers were busy figuring out how to save half of the universe, a lot could have happened to Jolly Green.

It’s possible that something has happened to him since fans last saw him in Endgame, depending on how much time has passed since then. There is an excellent reason for them to be flexible: young Hulks grow rapidly. She-Hulk allows the MCU to have four active Hulks at the same time. This raises the intriguing question of how many Hulks exist.

All The Hulks Together

Thunderbolt Ross is indeed the Red Hulk. Age of Ultron’s Army General, who hunted down Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk and supervised the signing of the Sokovia Accords, transforms into a red rage machine to face his enemy head-on. Red Hulk is unique because he can overheat, which limits his rage and power set.

AIM and a group called the Intelligencia gave Ross the capacity to evolve into his new persona. Betty, the daughter of General Ross, isn’t she? She becomes the Red She-Hulk, which could be a simple way to reintroduce the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What’s the deal? She is resurrected from the dead and forced to undergo a transformation, all thanks to the same people who brought back Red Hulk.

Doc Samson

Doc Samson

Originally played by Ty Burrell, he remained in human form throughout the entire run of The Incredible Hulk. He is primarily driven by the desire to capture and heal the Hulk in the comics. That doesn’t last very long, however, after Samson temporarily cures Banner of his Hulk-like powers and infuses himself with the same energy. AIM and Intelligencia are two of the organizations he has a connection to.

A-Bomb

Captain America and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk’s lore includes a major character named Rick Jones, who has yet to be seen in a live-action film. He’s been a close confidant of the Avengers and a partner to both of the above-mentioned heroes for a long period of time.

Jones gets his own Hulk powers thanks to the Leader and MODOK at the very same gamma bomb site that provided Banner his Hulk powers (both Intelligencia members). His rage is aimed at the Red Hulk, not the original green Hulk. A-Bomb, in contrast to the previous three, was more inclined toward good deeds.

Amadeus Cho

Amadeus Cho is no doubt on Marvel’s radar because of their recent history of introducing new heroes. The nanites he used to absorb Banner’s newly toxic radiation during an altercation that would have gunned down countless people caused him to lose his strengths, only for them to be transferred to Cho. As the new Hulk, Amadeus took pride in his efforts to become a better and more intelligent Hulk. In the end, he became a member of the champions.

Another Hulk lurks in the shadows, one that should fret the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Maestro.

The Great Maestro

Making the Maestro A Part Of The Avengers

According to the comics, Maestro is a super-charged Hulk from an alternative reality where an all-out nuclear war has decimated the planet, all of which was assimilated by the Hulk, granting him superhuman strength. Banner’s life has taken a dark turn as a result of his exposure to tragedy and war over the course of many years. As time goes on, he takes on the name Maestro and rules over what is now known as Dystopia in New York City.

The character has appeared in a number of other comics. These include Old Man Logan, Secret Wars, and Battleworld—he even got his own piece of the action. Maestro was also a villain in Square Enix’s Avengers: Infinity War video game. A universe that had been devastated by the Kree invasion was ruled by him. This alternate reality even had trophies from heroes who had died in battle.

Making the Maestro A Part Of The Avengers

Making the Maestro A Part Of The Avengers

In spite of the fact that the MCU is unlikely to face a post-apocalyptic wasteland, there are apparent elements from which Marvel can draw. When the Hulk snapped, he must have absorbed the equivalent of a nuclear bomb’s worth of energy. Eternals used those energies to justify the beginning of major world-ending events. As a reason, it’s fair game to use them for this purpose.

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Banner’s psyches may be slowly unraveling as a result of this excess energy. As a result of this, a new identity intrigued by the Maestro could emerge. Because he’s strong enough to stand up to Thanos in comics, the Maestro would be a suitable antagonist in terms of both thematic value and physical power. In the comics, Hulk’s neck was broken in a matter of seconds by him.

There is always the possibility that this character will appear from another dimension. As a result of Marvel’s recent focus on the Multiverse, Bruce and Jennifer have no choice but to take on him. Both of them could look into Maestro’s eyes and see the worst of themselves.

The relationship between Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Banner, as depicted in Endgame, may not be as happy-go-lucky as it first appears. Is there more to Bruce’s story than what he’s telling the outside world? Some of the Hulk’s best qualities may have been lost in Bruce’s attempt to compress him. The other side of him may have been imprisoned because of this.

Bruce Banner’s Untimely Death

Think about what it would be like if one of the original Avengers became the next big MCU villain. Hulk’s tragic character is perfectly suited to this concept. This is not only terrifying but also terrifying in its own right. Emotional turmoil caused by the many heroes fighting against him would have a profound effect on the MCU’s ability to overcome him.

It appears that multiple threats are being built up for Marvel’s Phase 4. With Kang, Val’s mercenary group, Galactus, and the Multiverse all in play. The addition of the Maestro seems appropriate. Maybe it’s time for tragic villainy in the OG Avengers after so many heroic ones.