7 Things Even The MCU Forgot About Hulk

Even though the Hulk is one of the most popular heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise sometimes forgets elements of his story. Since the very beginning of Hulk’s MCU story, he has been one of the franchise’s strongest and most beloved heroes. His importance to the franchise was cemented by his role as a founding Avenger, and he has been an MCU mainstay ever since. Considering his introduction marked one of the first stories in the entire franchise, Hulk’s continued MCU role has seen the character evolve considerably over time. However, as his characterization and role within the MCU have shifted, a few things seem to have been left behind.

As his story has continued to develop, it has become clear that a few things don’t make sense about the MCU’s Hulk. Many of these stem from the franchise seeming to forget elements of or ideas about the character established by previous movies, overlooking potentially key parts of his evolution. There are several frustratingly forgotten components of Hulk’s story in the MCU, and they only become more infuriating the longer they’re ignored.

7) His Relationship With Black Widow

There have been a few romances in the MCU, but none were as quickly forgotten as that between Hulk and Black Widow. An important sub-plot in Avengers: Age of Ultron established the romantic connection between the pair, and tragic though the relationship was destined to be, the MCU seemed to forget all about it in subsequent movies. This was made even worse in Avengers: Endgame, when Black Widow died heroically, but Hulk hardly mourned her at all despite their previously established relationship.

6) Skaar Probably Shouldn’t Exist

There are now several Hulks in the MCU, but the franchise has seemingly forgotten that one of them shouldn’t exist at all. The ending of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law introduced Hulk’s son, Skaar, but exactly how Skaar came to be has yet to be explained. Earlier in his MCU story, Banner claimed that he was unable to have children, so exactly how Hulk managed to procreate raises several questions. Considering Skaar hasn’t been mentioned since his brief debut appearance, it also seems that the MCU might have forgotten all about him anyway.

5) Hulk Killed Quite A Few Innocents On Sakaar

One of the most powerful Hulk forms in the MCU to date is Gladiator Hulk, who was the champion of the Grandmaster’s arena on Sakaar. Thor: Ragnarok establishes that Hulk has been undefeated for two years in the arena, and also that each victory was won by killing an opponent. Logically, this means that Hulk killed an unknown number of innocent combatants, many of whom, like Thor, were presumably thrown into combat against their will. In that regard, it seems that the MCU has forgotten that Hulk has an awful lot of innocent blood on his giant green hands.

4) When He First Appeared

It’s no secret that the MCU has quietly distanced Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk from the character’s first appearance in the franchise. However, while neglecting to delve into the in-universe explanation for a recasting is understandable, confusion about Hulk’s timeline is just plain frustrating. The franchise has seemingly retconned the exact timing of Hulk’s MCU origins on more than one occasion, making it seem as though the MCU has simply forgotten when exactly the hero first appeared.

3) Banner Wanted To Cure Him

The fact that Hulk is one of the most unkillable MCU characters is well-known, but Bruce Banner’s early attempts to cure his gamma-infused alter ego have been completely forgotten. The driving force behind The Incredible Hulk‘s plot was Banner trying to find a way to reverse his condition, but later appearances haven’t so much as mentioned the idea. By the time Avengers: Endgame came around, the franchise had abandoned any notion of Banner curing the Hulk, as he instead opted to combine Hulk and Banner into a single persona — a development which also, irritatingly, occurred off-screen.

2) He’s Technically A Super Soldier

While there are powers the MCU forgets Hulk has, it also seems that the franchise has now forgotten the origins of his abilities. It has been established over multiple MCU stories that Hulk’s creation was the result of an attempt to recreate the super soldier serum that gave Steve Rogers his abilities. However, the creation of Red Hulk suggests that the serum wasn’t necessary, as President Ross is transformed by gamma poisoning alone. Though the distinction is relatively minor, it needs to be cleared up, because it makes it seem as though the MCU has forgotten Hulk’s super soldier status.

1) How Powerful He Actually Is

There aren’t many MCU heroes who could beat Hulk in a fair fight. Over the years, Hulk has been confirmed as one of the franchise’s true powerhouses, although it appears that the franchise forgets his limitless potential. Since his debut, the MCU has consistently nerfed Hulk’s power level, seemingly to keep the power balance between heroes and villains intact. Sadly, this makes it seem as though the MCU has forgotten Hulk’s true nature as one of the strongest and most fearsome Marvel heroes of all time.

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Every Time The MCU Made The Hulk Look Weak