The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to success, but it's important to remember that Phase 1 wasn't universally praised, especially when it came to movies like their solo Incredible Hulk feature film. Each of Marvel's Phase 1 solo efforts have their pros and cons, but they each elegantly contribute towards their first official team-up effort in The Avengers. The Avengers was a successful superhero celebration, but it created some unusual dissonance with the Hulk once Mark Ruffalo showed up instead of Edward Norton.
In many ways, The Incredible Hulk is treated like the black sheep of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film faced issues regarding its actual content and behind-the-scenes controversies, including Edward Norton's eventual replacement by Mark Ruffalo. It's an MCU outing that's been made to feel skippable to the point that fans questions its place in the Marvel canon altogether. This, evidently, isn't the only question fans have regarding The Incredible Hulk and where it stands in the grander Marvel universe.
Updated February 21st, 2023 By Daniel Kurland: The Marvel Cinematic Universe has ambitiously evolved from a handful of connected films into more than 40 meticulously overlapping movies and television series. Some Marvel characters are ready to begin their second trilogies, but the Hulk has remained an unfortunate misfit who’s been forced to share his cinematic and TV endeavors with other characters. 2008’s The Incredible Hulk gets a lot of criticism as a weak link early in the MCU’s Phase 1, but the film contains some enlightening elements that remain relevant to the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially after the release of Hulk-centric material like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
19 Is The Incredible Hulk Still Canon?
Yes, Thunderbolt Ross Proves It Is.
As much as it may be hard to believe, despite not receiving a direct sequel, The Incredible Hulk is indeed canon in the larger scheme of the MCU. The contents and storyline of the film are referenced in subtle ways throughout the MCU films over the years.
The most apparent instance referencing the film is William Hurt reprising his role as General Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Prior to that, Avengers had Bruce Banner recall the events of his film where he "kind of broke Harlem."
18 Is Thunderbolt Ross Still In The Picture?
Yes, And He’ll Be Played By Harrison Ford.
General Thunderbolt Ross remains crucial to the Hulk’s lore. This larger-than-life military character developed a personal vendetta against Banner’s Hulk. Ross was played by Sam Elliot in Ang Lee’s Hulk and then later portrayed by William Hurt in the MCU. Hurt’s passing in real life left many curious if his MCU counterpart would retire, along with the storylines that accompany him.
Recently, Harrison Ford has signed on to portray Thunderbolt Ross, who plays a major role in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order. Not only will Ross have more power than ever before in a political sense, but many believe the character will finally step into his Red Hulk destiny.
17 Does Abomination Ever Return For Revenge?
Yes, He’s A Major Character In She-Hulk Attorney At Law.
The lack of solo Hulk movies also means that many of the supporting characters and villains that the movie teases have unfortunately fallen to the wayside. Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky, but more notably his monstrous Abomination alter ego, make for satisfying villains audiences want more of.
Abomination had been waiting in the wings for more than a decade until his brief return in 2021’s Shang-Chi and Blonsky’’s considerably more prominent role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Curiously, both appearances reflect the duality of this character in both his human and superpowered states.
16 Can The Hulk Talk In The Movie?
Yes, He Can.
Hulk’s sliding scale of intelligence has been up for debate throughout his early run in the comics. The MCU has recently gotten around this through Banner’s evolved “Smart Hulk” state, where he comfortably engages in fluent, sophisticated speech.
The Hulk’s previous cinematic depictions have been quite selective with Hulk’s verbage, that is, if he says anything at all. 2008’s The Incredible Hulk proves Banner can communicate in his Hulk form, but barely. He only says six words — and three thoughts — while in his Hulk form: “Leave me alone,” “Betty,” and his signature, “Hulk Smash!.”
15 Does The Tease Of The Leader Ever Pay Off?
Yes, It Will Be Addressed In Captain America: New World Order.
One of the biggest hanging threads that The Incredible Hulk left behind and audiences had all but given up on was Samuel Sterns' transformation into the villainous Leader. Jessica Gao, the showrunner for She-Hulk, originally had plans for Time Blake Nelson’s Leader to return in her series, only for the character to not make it into the final version.
It’s comforting that the MCU did plan to provide some closure on this front, even if it didn’t happen. There are now claims that The Leader will return in Captain America: New World Order, which will hopefully amount to an even greater showcase for the villain.
14 What Was The Inspiration Behind The Transformation Sequences?
An American Werewolf In London.
There are several superhero stories that could be considered examples of "body horror" under the right circumstances, and the transformative tale of the Hulk certainly qualifies. 2008's Incredible Hulk emphasizes the pain that Bruce experiences when he undergoes his strenuous transformation into the Hulk.
Director Louis Leterrier drew direct inspiration from John Landis' An American Werewolf in London, specifically Rick Baker's iconic werewolf transformation. The Incredible Hulk wanted Bruce's metamorphosis to look as visceral and painful as possible. It’s definitely a quality that’s lacking in the MCU’s subsequent depictions of the Hulk.
13 Is Its Post-Credit Scene Canon?
Yes, "The Consultant" Establishes This.
In the post-credits scene, Tony Stark is seen filling a drunk Ross in on the Avengers Initiative that he's supposedly working on. This muddles the continuity seen in Iron Man 2 where Captain Nick Fury actively removes Stark from that Initiative in the end. Yet Stark is being used to recruit people for the team in Incredible Hulk.
Shockingly, this is still canon and not retconned, thanks to the later-released short film one-shot, The Consultant. Agents Coulson and Sitwell decide to use Stark as a pawn, patsy, and ultimately, a "consultant" to annoy Ross enough that he thinks twice about releasing The Abomination as a member of the Initiative.
12 Are Its Deleted Scenes Important?
Yes, They're Called Back In The Avengers.
One of the more memorable moments in The Avengers is when Bruce Banner recants a chilling story where he admits that at his lowest moment he attempted to end his life. For a mostly lighthearted popcorn flick, this is an incredibly dark moment, but it also calls back to a deleted scene in The Incredible Hulk.
The Incredible Hulk's original alternate opening sees Bruce Banner in the arctic where he, as described in The Avengers, takes a gun to his mouth and fires. Rather than perish, his Hulk persona takes over to ensure both of their survivals, even if Bruce longs for the opposite.
11 Is There A Captain America Cameo?
Yes, Hidden In A Deleted Scene.
In the same deleted scene that's described above, the Hulk, in a huff of anger, smashes all the ice surrounding him. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment hidden in the left corner of the screen during the ice destruction, viewers can see Captain America's suit and costume engulfed in a block of ice.
Obviously, Hulk being the one to break Steve Rogers out of the ice contradicts with how Captain America was canonically found in the ice in later films. However, it at least hints at what Marvel's original plans may have been regarding Captain America's introduction, prior to these details being changed once development on The First Avenger gets underway.
10 Is Betty Ross Still Around?
Yes, According To The Russos.
Despite always being Bruce Banner's go-to love interest and playing a pivotal role in his character development in the comics, Betty Ross's presence has only been felt in The Incredible Hulk. As far as fans are concerned, it's her only appearance in the MCU. That's not quite true, even if it's the last time she's actually "seen."
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo confirmed that Betty Ross was one of the characters who killed offscreen by Thanos' Snap. This fact becomes all the more ironic after understanding that it's the Hulk's Snap in Endgame that revived Betty Ross, among everyone else.
9 Does It Have Any Tie-In Comics?
Yes, "Fury's Big Week."
One big loose end that The Incredible Hulk leaves open is the future of Samuel Sterns, who gets infected with Bruce Banner's blood through an open wound in his forehead. This was meant to set up original plans for a sequel that establishes Sterns' alter ego, The Leader, as the main antagonist, but the sequel never came to pass.
For fans under the impression that this means that there is a rampant Leader roaming around the world unchecked, there's fortunately a canon MCU-tie in comic book mini-series called Fury's Big Week that serves as a prequel to The Avengers and reveals that Black Widow arrests Sterns before he can do any real damage.
8 Was Edward Norton Always The First Choice For The Hulk?
No, Mark Ruffalo Was Also In Consideration.
Mark Ruffalo has helped define the role of Bruce Banner ever since first playing him in The Avengers to replace an exiting Edward Norton. If fate had its way, Ruffalo would have been given the role even sooner. Louis Leterrier, the director of The Incredible Hulk, once revealed to Empire that his first choice to play Bruce Banner was actually Mark Ruffalo and that the two first met during the movie's pre-production phase.
David Duchovny was another actor who was in serious consideration. Marvel Studios insisted on Leterrier hiring Edward Norton for the part. This is rather ironic, seeing as the whole reason Ruffalo replaces Norton is because Norton and the studio butted heads.
7 Is Martin Starr's Character The Same From Spider-Man?
Quite Possibly.
Most MCU fans recognize Martin Starr as playing Peter Parker's science teacher in Tom Holland's trilogy of Spider-Man movies. However, Starr actually arrived in the MCU much sooner than some remember. In The Incredible Hulk, Starr has a small role as a nameless "Computer Nerd."
Since his character does not actually have a name in the movie, many fans speculate this could be a young version of Spider-Man's Mr. Harrington, years before he becomes a teacher. It's entirely plausible that Starr is playing the same character he played in 2008. He's just older, has a teaching degree, and is slightly more battle-wearied.
6 Is It The Only Phase 1 Movie Without Nick Fury?
Yes, Technically.
Captain Nick Fury's presence has been felt throughout the entire first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his appearances helped tease what becomes of the Avengers team by the time Phase 1 is over. However, The Incredible Hulk is the only movie in Phase 1 where Nick Fury is absent.
Samuel L. Jackson doesn't appear in The Incredible Hulk, but pedantic viewers will argue that Fury at least shows up in some capacity. Fury's name shows up during the montage that plays during the movie's opening credits. Fury's name can be seen on secret S.H.I.E.L.D. documents. It's not much, but it's something that continues to connect Fury to these characters.
5 Was Abomination's Design Changed To Secure A PG-13 Rating?
Yes, The Ears Were Changed.
Diehard comic book fans will recall that in the comic books, Abomination has big pointy ears. This signature does not appear in the final cut of The Incredible Hulk, but it was originally considered by the director. Louis Leterrier wanted Abomination to have these ears in his movie, but in his head, he rationalized that if The Abomination had such ears, the Hulk would be compelled to try to bite them off.
Leterrier had to confront the sad reality that a film that involves an ear-eating stunt would need to be beyond the limits of a PG-13 movie. With this off the table, Abomination's design continued to shift from its original comic book origins. Fortunately, Abomination's proper look was restored in She-Hulk.
4 Is It A Sequel To Ang Lee’s Hulk?
No, It’s Not.
When The Incredible Hulk first got underway, the plan was for it to be a loose sequel to the poorly received 2003 Ang Lee Hulk movie. Leterrier and screenwriter Zak Penn intended to take certain elements of Lee's film, only to steer them closer to their coom book canon.
In the end, there was too much dissonance and The Incredible Hulk functions as a reboot, albeit one that still seems to have experienced its own rendition of the events of 2003's Hulk. Many audiences are pleased that The Incredible Hulk begins with a fresh slate instead of retrofitting Lee's bold character and storytelling choices.
3 Is Edward Norton An Uncredited Screenwriter On The Movie?
Yes, He Is.
Edward Norton clashed with Incredible Hulk executives and creatives in his efforts to push the film further away from 2003's Hulk, as well provide his own slant on the material. Edward Norton has a habit of rewriting the movies that he works on, and it was no different with this Marvel project. Norton and Leterrier worked to distance the script from Ang Lee's original and put a greater emphasis on Bruce's struggles rather than the Hulk's triumphs.
For as much as Edward Norton butted heads with executives and everyone associated with the movie, he did save it from being associated with the 2003 film. Norton lobbied to have a co-writing credit on the movie under the pseudonym, Edward Harrison, but the WGA denied and the film's script is credited to Zak Penn, despite Norton's contributions.
2 Is It Based On A Specific Run Of Comics?
Yes, Bruce Jones' Comics.
Anyone who's read Bruce Jones' run on The Hulk can quickly identify the similarities between it and 2008's film. A majority of Jones' Hulk run involves Banner on the run from the military and focuses more on Bruce Banner than it does his superpowered state.
Bruce Jones' take on The Hulk frequently gets overlooked in favor of the more recent, modern, and subversive take on the character. That being said, it remains essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand the character's pathos and it's easy to see why it was one of Edward Norton's favorite interpretations of the character.
1 Was Edward Norton Cast Because He Reminded Kevin Feige Of Bill Bixby?
Yes, He Was.
There are a myriad of factors that are taken into consideration for any Marvel casting. That being said, it's certainly helpful when an actor embodies the energy of the character and of the actor most commonly associated with them. Bill Bixby was the original live-action Bruce Banner and his portrayal of the character is still looked at fondly by many, including Kevin Feige.
Feige saw a lot of Bixby in Edward Norton, which gave him greater confidence in casting him in the role. The MCU has gradually grown more confident in their own original renditions of these classic characters rather than purely leaning into nostalgia. Norton's casting and his Bixby demeanor made sense for 2008, but not so much now.