Discover the 7 Hulks of the MCU You Never Knew Existed!

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2008 marked the commencement of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with the releases of “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” The former, “Iron Man,” was a surprising success that catapulted Marvel Studios into prominence and laid the foundation for the MCU, making Iron Man a central figure in the larger storyline. On the other hand, “The Incredible Hulk” faced disappointing box office returns, and with Edward Norton being replaced by Mark Ruffalo in “The Avengers,” it seemed like an overlooked part of the broader franchise. This change also hinted at a smaller role for the Hulk within the series. However, much like his comic book counterpart, the Hulk has emerged as a significant focus in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over time.

Despite being unable to produce a solo Incredible Hulk sequel, Marvel Studios has instead broadened the Hulk’s tale and lore across various ventures, such as The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and most recently Captain America: Brave New World. Originally, there was only Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the mix. However, over the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 17-year lifespan, numerous Hulks have made their mark on the franchise. Here is a rundown of every Hulk featured in the MCU thus far.

7
The Hulk

As a dedicated comics enthusiast, I can proudly trace the origins of the iconic character, the Hulk, back to his debut in Marvel Comics’ The Incredible Hulk #1, which hit shelves in May 1962 – a creation jointly envisioned by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In the grand cinematic universe (MCU), the Hulk made his first appearance in 2008’s film adaptation of The Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton taking on the role initially. Since then, Mark Ruffalo has brought the Green Goliath to life from the 2012 release of The Avengers and beyond.

Dr. Bruce Banner, an eminent gamma researcher with seven PhDs, collaborated with General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross on a project they both thought aimed to make humans resistant to gamma rays. However, secretly, Ross planned to replicate the super-soldier serum through this experiment. Banner conducted self-experiments, but an overdose of gamma radiation combined with the super-soldier serum and a formula developed by Betty Ross resulted in his transformation into the Hulk, causing widespread destruction during a rampage.

For a period of five years, Banner lived as a runaway, until the occurrences depicted in “The Incredible Hulk” transpired. After overcoming the Abomination, he continued to elude capture for another two years, until Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to locate him with the mission of finding the Tesseract. Despite his apprehension towards the Hulk personality, and even attacking S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier, Banner ultimately participated in the Battle of New York, eventually joining the Avengers.

Initially, Banner (also known as the Hulk) gained hero status, teaming up with the Avengers to combat threats like HYDRA and Ultron. Yet, he harbored concerns about the world’s acceptance of his alter-ego, leading him to board a Quinjet and journey into space. Eventually, he arrived on the planet Sakaar, where he rose through the ranks as a formidable gladiator champion. After two years had passed, Hulk was reunited with Thor, and together they rescued Asgard’s citizens from danger. Subsequently, Hulk endeavored to thwart Thanos but ultimately fell in battle. When Banner summoned him later on, the Hulk refused to emerge.

At this stage, Hulk had acquired speech capabilities and exhibited signs of self-awareness, growing frustrated as he felt Banner merely summoned him for tasks. Over time, it became clear that they would have to merge into a single entity.

6
Smart Hulk

In essence, Smart Hulk, though still Bruce Banner at a technical level, functions like a distinct entity apart from the regular Hulk. This character was inspired by Professor Hulk from the comics, who made his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 #377, dated November 1990, created by Peter David and Dale Keown. During a five-year timeframe following Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War, and before the main events of Avengers: Endgame, Bruce Banner and the Hulk merged into a single being after spending 18 months in the Gamma Lab. This fusion resulted in a character that boasted both the Hulk’s strength and Banner’s intelligence, which he referred to as having “the best of both worlds.

After the movies Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War, it seems like the Hulk is more self-governing, with his own thoughts, wishes, and emotions. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Bruce Banner’s consciousness has completely replaced the Hulk. It remains unclear if the Hulk has lost its sentience or not. The ethical and moral aspects of this blending of personalities have not yet been fully explored in these films.

Over the course of five years, Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk has emerged as one of Earth’s prominent superheroes and a well-loved public figure. During this time, Smart Hulk collaborates with Tony Stark to construct the Quantum Tunnel for time travel, ultimately retrieving the Time Stone from the Ancient One in the process. In the movie “Endgame”, Smart Hulk plays an essential role due to his unique gamma resistance, which allows him to handle all six Infinity Stones without perishing himself, albeit at the cost of permanent damage to his arm. Once feared as a destructive force, the Hulk now stands as the embodiment of life restoration.

Among the few surviving original Avengers on Earth, Smart Hulk continues to be a valuable member of a loosely knit group of superheroes. At a later stage, he assists his relative, Jennifer Walters, in mastering her newfound abilities as She-Hulk. Eventually, he takes a short break from Earth to revisit Sakaar, where he uncovers the surprising fact that he has a son who, much like himself, is also a Hulk.

5
The Abomination

The Abomination is among Hulk’s oldest and best-known adversaries, debuting in issue #90 of Tales to Astonish in April 1967. Stan Lee and Gil Kane were the ones who brought him to life as characters. Emil Blonsky, better known as the Abomination, initially appeared as a villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and has shown a compelling transformation throughout the series.

In the role of Blonsky was the talented Tim Roth. Initially, a special forces officer, Blonsky was enlisted by General Ross for a mission: to track down Bruce Banner, the Hulk’s alter ego. After observing the Hulk in battle, Blonsky developed an intense fascination with the creature’s immense strength and consented to undergo a risky rejuvenation of the super-soldier serum to boost his powers for combat against the Hulk. Despite having his bones crushed by the Hulk, Blonsky yearned for more power and compelled Dr. Samuel Sterns to inject him with gamma radiation. The fusion of gamma radiation and General Ross’s experimental serum transformed Blonsky into the monstrous form known as the Abomination.

In Harlem, the Monster squared off against the Hulk. Eventually, it was overpowered and arrested. The brief film titled “The Consultant” disclosed that the World Security Council intended to enlist its services for the Avengers. However, Tony Stark, acting on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., interfered with General Ross’s plans so much that he refused to grant Blonsky his freedom (resolving the final hint from “The Incredible Hulk“, which no longer aligned with the updated MCU narrative).

The Abomination wasn’t seen for thirteen years until it appeared in the movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” where it was noticed battling Wong in an underground combat arena—now resembling its traditional comic book character. This plot aspect was further developed in “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” where we discover that Wong enlisted the Abomination to aid him in testing his powers as Sorcerer Supreme. After learning to control his Abomination form, Blonsky underwent rehabilitation, which included assistance from Jennifer Walters, also known as She-Hulk. As a result of her help, he was granted parole and started a wellness retreat. However, he later returned to prison for violating his parole terms. Eventually, Wong invited him to reside at Kamar-Taj.

4
She-Hulk

Jennifer Walters, also known as She-Hulk, was among Stan Lee’s last original character creations, first appearing in “The Savage She-Hulk” #1 in November 1979, with artist John Buscema being her co-creator. She stepped onto the Marvel Cinematic Universe stage in the Disney+ series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” where she was played by Emmy award winner Tatiana Maslany. Jennifer Walters is Bruce Banner’s cousin, and during a family trip, they were both involved in an accident caused by an alien ship crash, which resulted in her transformation into She-Hulk when some of Bruce’s blood accidentally entered an open wound on her body.

Unlike her cousin, Jennifer Walters does not succumb to uncontrollable transformation when she morphs into She-Hulk. Instead, she exhibits self-control over her transformations, crediting this ability to years of emotional management, a necessity for any woman in a world where relinquishing control could jeopardize her life. Unlike the desire to become a superhero that many possess, Jennifer is more inclined towards her career as a lawyer.

Yet, as her powers are disclosed to the general public, she is employed by Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H) to head their superhero law department. This necessitates her maintaining her She-Hulk form during work hours. Unfortunately, she faces a malicious, misogynistic smear campaign (reminiscent of certain reactions to her series in reality), but manages to outwit her adversaries by leveraging both her legal acumen and her unique fourth-wall-breaking talents.

Jennifer Walters, previously spotted, is currently immersed in her role as both attorney and superheroine, based out of Los Angeles, California. It’s possible that she could be joining the ranks of the Avengers team shortly.

3
Todd/HulkKing

Todd is a unique character introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” Portrayed by Jon Bass, Todd represents an arrogant, misogynistic tech billionaire who runs the online hate group Intellegencia under the alias “HulkKing.” Todd harbors resentment towards Jennifer Walters due to her acquisition of Hulk powers, believing she didn’t deserve them. He orchestrates a plan to obtain a sample of her blood, which includes hiring someone to romance her and collect DNA samples without her knowledge. Utilizing this DNA sample, he transforms himself into a Hulk-like figure, although the events following “She-Hulk” series’ fourth-wall-breaking finale result in his powers being written out of the continuity.

Todd and the collective Intelligentcia served as the show’s critique on arrogant male fans and harmful online communities. Remarkably, the creators portrayed the antagonist of their series as exactly the kind of person who would later spend extensive time criticizing the very same show. Such a revelation would be enlightening if not for the unfortunate truth behind it.

2
Skaar

As the curtain falls on She-Hulk, a fresh member joins the Hulk clan: none other than Skaar. Originally conceptualized by writer Greg Pak and artist John Romita Jr., Skaar initially made a fleeting appearance in What If? Planet Hulk #1 (December 2007), before officially entering the Marvel scene in World War Hulk #5 (January 2008). In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, actor Wil Deusner portrayed Skaar during a brief cameo.

In the grand expanse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I, Skaar, remain a character shrouded in mystery. What is known is that I am the son of the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner, and was apparently born on the extraterrestrial realm of Sakaar, where Hulk resided during the events of Thor: Ragnarok. I share a familial bond with Jennifer Walters. The path ahead for me in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unclear, with speculation abounding that I might assume the role of Hulkling in the upcoming Young Avengers ensemble, hinted at through various projects such as Hawkeye, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Marvels.

1
The Red Hulk

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the latest Hulk character generating a lot of buzz is none other than the Red Hulk. This character was born from the minds of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness, making his first appearance in Hulk Vol. 3 #1 back in January 2008. It’s later unveiled that this Red Hulk is none other than General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1 way back in 1962. The General Ross character was initially introduced in the MCU through The Incredible Hulk, with William Hurt portraying him. Hurt reprised his role as General Ross in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow. Tragically, William Hurt passed away in March 2022.

In the upcoming movie “Captain America: Brave New World”, Harrison Ford is stepping into the shoes of Thaddeus Ross. Interestingly, his character is now the President of the United States and will also be transforming into the Red Hulk. The specifics about how he becomes the Red Hulk are yet to be disclosed. However, the Red Hulk, played by Ford, has been a significant highlight in the film’s promotions, with a striking image of Sam Wilson’s Captain America confronting a fierce Red Hulk being a key element in their marketing strategy.

Fans are pondering if Betty Ross, who was portrayed by Liv Tyler in the MCU, might inherit her father’s transformation into Red Hulk and take on the role of Red She-Hulk, as depicted in the comics. Furthermore, there’s a growing curiosity among fans about whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing to bring to life the “World War Hulks” storyline, which unfolded in 2010 and involved multiple Hulks from the Marvel universe becoming entangled in a vast conspiracy.

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2025-02-05 02:33