Summary
- Marvel could follow the comics and have the Illuminati shoot Hulk into space, leading him to return and start a crusade against them.
- The death of Betty Ross, Bruce Banner's love interest, could trigger the resurgence of the Hulk persona and lead to him becoming a threat in Phase 6 or beyond.
- Marvel could split Bruce Banner and the Hulk into two different people, making the Hulk even more dangerous and uncontrollable, setting up a World War Hulk crossover.
Multiple theories provide working explanations for why Marvel's movie timeline is headed toward in regards to Hulk’s storyline. That said, the exact reason why it would happen remains unclear for the time being.
The original Hulk has been missing from the MCU since Avengers: Infinity War, yet he remains relevant to Marvel’s world. After all, it’s no secret that the MCU still has more to do with his corner of the Marvel Universe. In Captain America: Brave New World, it’s bringing back Thunderbolt Ross and Betty, completing The Incredible Hulk’s setup for Samuel Sterns to become the Leader, and introducing Sabra, a mutant hero from Hulk’s comics. Through the building blocks it appears to be laying, Marvel may set its take on World War Hulk in motion sooner rather than later. Here’s six theories that explain why it would start.
6 The Illuminati Forms In The MCU – And Shoots Hulk Into Space
The most obvious path for Marvel to take would be to follow the comics directly. Marvel took its first steps toward its World War Hulk crossover by having the Illuminati decide that the Hulk is too dangerous to stay on Earth. As a preemptive measure, they orchestrated a scheme to send Hulk into space. After sharing some galactic misadventures and picking up some allies, the Hulk returned and started a relentless crusade against the individual of the Illuminati.
Since the introduction of Earth-838’s Illuminati creates a precedent for Doctor Strange to form his own version on Earth-616, it’s not impossible that a similar scenario would unfold if the Hulk persona were to return. However, the fact that Marvel already sent Hulk into space casts doubt on this idea. Rather than repeat this development, Marvel may choose to go its own route.
5 Betty Ross Dies In Captain America: Brave New World
In the comics, the death of Hulk’s wife was essentially the last straw that drove Hulk into attacking his former friends within the Illuminati. Since rage is an important part of Hulk’s character, it would make sense for anger and heartache to be key to its World War Hulk setup. One way the MCU can pull that off is through a similarly unexpected tragedy – namely, the death of Betty Ross. Liv Tyler is reprising her role as Bruce Banner’s love interest in Captain America: Brave New World, and as The Incredible Hulk confirmed, the Hulk does have a certain level of affection for the person Banner loves.
If her return in Captain America: Brave New World culminates in her death, it could trigger the resurgence of the Hulk persona. Possibly as a way to retaliate against whomever he blames for what happened, whether it be Sam Wilson’s Captain America or Thunderbolt Ross, the Hulk could become the planet’s biggest threat in Phase 6 or beyond.
4 Bruce Banner & Hulk Are Split Into Two Different People
Rather than use World War Hulk itself as the foundation for the plot of the potential MCU crossover, Marvel could take inspiration from an entirely different Hulk story. Marvel Comics memorably threatened the status quo in 1970’s The Incredible Hulk #130, which saw a device called the Gammatron split them into two different people. A similar event happened in The Incredible Hulk #315, which proved that the Hulk is even more dangerous and reckless when not sharing a body with Bruce Banner. As his own person, the Hulk was so powerful that even the combined might of Doc Samson, Wonder Man, Hercules, Namor, and more couldn’t rein him in.
Splitting them up feels like something that a character like the Leader might be able to accomplish. If Mark Ruffalo is secretly appearing in Captain America 4, Marvel could have the Leader split them apart, thus setting up a difficult challenge for the heroes to overcome. Any attempt to merge them back together again would naturally resort in pushback from Hulk, which could come in the form of a World War Hulk crossover.
3 Thunderbolt Ross Becomes Red Hulk & Starts World War Hulk
Alternatively, Marvel may choose to make a completely different character responsible for World War Hulk. As for who else could fill that role, the most likely option would be Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross. It’s been heavily speculated, due to him sharing a movie with Leader, that he’ll transform into the Red Hulk from Marvel Comics. While he’s not a true villain, the Red Hulk has played the part of the antagonist in several Marvel stories – as has his human alter ego – so Red Hulk giving in to his worst impulses and starting a war is a possibility that shouldn’t be ruled out.
2 The Leader Creates A Hulk Army
What the Leader is up to in Captain America: Brave New World is open to speculation, but given his status as one of Hulk’s biggest villains, it’s all but guaranteed that it has to do with gamma radiation or his Hulk connection. If so, the MCU may draw upon one of his sinister plots from The Incredible Hulk comics. In the past, the Leader has transformed other people into Hulk-like beings in an effort to create a legion of super-strong slaves. If that happened, the Leader could have an army of Hulks at his disposal by the end of Captain America 4, making it necessary for the original Hulk to return, complete with gamma-powered allies of his own, such as Skaar, She-Hulk, and Abomination.
1 The Hulk Goes To War With The Avengers Over Phase 3’s Smart Hulk Twist
It’s worth noting that Marvel doesn’t actually need Captain America: Brave New World or some other event in a Marvel movie to set up World War Hulk. The framework for a story where Hulk battles the MCU’s heroes already exists thanks to Avengers: Endgame. It was revealed in the movie that Bruce Banner had created the Smart Hulk identity, allowing him to use Hulk’s body while also maintaining control over the Green Goliath’s body. The movie treated this as Banner and Hulk finally finding a happy balance and a solution to their dilemma, but in actuality, it only comes across as a happy ending for Banner - not Hulk.
It's hard to imagine the Hulk having no issue with what Banner has done. Essentially, Banner took over his body and repressed him for years. What’s worse, none of the Avengers expressed any issues they had with Banner’s decision. From the Hulk’s perspective, their failure to do anything about it could be seen as a betrayal. Thor: Ragnarok emphasized this notion – which stems from the comics – that Hulk values friendship. Feeling that his own teammates don’t truly care about him could motivate him to go to war with the Avengers, kickstarting World War Hulk in the process.
