The last couple episodes of South Park, which is currently in the midst of its 22nd season, have been garnering some attention for bringing back an old fan favorite.
November’s episodes, titled “Time to Get Cereal” and “Nobody Got Cereal?” have brought back a classic character from the show, Al Gore’s ManBearPig, who became an iconic part of South Park‘s history back in 2006.
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The two-episode arc had some fun with ManBearPig, pinning him against Satan, an ongoing staple in the South Park universe, in an epic battle. The fight scene mirrors the Hulk Vs. Abomination battle in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, a fact that was caught by Reddit user datsnazzydany.
You can watch their comparison cut of the fight scenes here.
As you can see, Satan and ManBearPig perfectly embody Hulk and Abomination, who was played by Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Four Rooms) in the film.
The Comedy Central cartoon resurrected ManBearPig last week as an apology to Al Gore, who they were initially poking fun at over his climate change beliefs back in the late 2000s. Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, won two Oscars in 2006, including Best Documentary. However, those accolades didn’t stop the comedy duo from reframing the concept of climate change into a ridiculous monster who was part man, part bear, and part pig, respectively.
It may have taken them 12 years, but Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s new story arc offered up a rare apology to the former Vice President, teaching the kids of South Park that ManBearPig is actually a real threat to them and their way of life, a lesson they learn when the monster tears through their tiny mountain town.
Serious commentary on climate change aside, it’s nice to see some love for one of The Incredible Hulk’s better moments, especially considering its universally considered the worst film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While it certainly isn’t the worst Hulk movie ever made (that title is currently held by Ang Lee’s 2003 movie, Hulk) its still bottom of the barrel when compared to the other 19 films in the MCU. It also doesn’t help that the Marvel fandom loves Mark Ruffalo unconditionally, labeling any other version of the Hulk undesirable. (Sorry, Edward Norton, we still think you’re a great actor.)
This isn’t the first time South Park has parodied Marvel, throwing shade at Black Panther and poking fun at Jessica Jones already this season.
South Park airs on Comedy Central, Wednesday nights at 10/9c.
