The She-Hulk. In 2008, Marvel Studios launched what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first installment was Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and some months later the shared universe expanded with the release of The Incredible Hulk, marking the first of the character's many MCU appearances.
Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were very different, offering contrasting visions of what the MCU could be. Jon Favreau's Iron Man was fast-paced and action-packed, with the entire script mirroring the sharp wit of its protagonist. In contrast, Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk - which starred The Avengers, and his portrayal of Banner is generally viewed as so iconic that Norton's is completely overshadowed.
The Hulk's complicated distribution rights mean his story has since been relegated to ensemble films, guest appearances, and cameos. Still, Downey's retirement from the role of Iron Man means the Hulk is now the oldest-established Marvel hero in the MCU, a real mark of distinction. Here's the Hulk's full MCU story ahead of She-Hulk.
The Creation of the Hulk
The Hulk. Still, tie-ins have established the Hulk was created from super-soldier experiments pushed by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross after the September 11 attacks, with the U.S. government interested in creating the next Captain America. Bruce Banner was one of Ross' top scientists, and he came up with a variation of the super-soldier serum that replaced Abraham Erskine's Vita-Rays with Gamma Radiation. Pushed by Ross, Banner experimented on himself - with catastrophic results. He gained the power to morph into what Stark would describe as "an enormous green rage monster."
Bruce Banner's Failed Attempts To Cure The Hulk
The Incredible Hulk tells the story of Bruce Banner's failed attempts to cure the Hulk. His return to the U.S. proved unwise, drawing the attention of General "Thunderbolt" Ross, and leading to a confrontation with the military at Culver University. Ross' desperation to bring the Hulk in led to the creation of the Abomination, with the Hulk subsequently battling the Abomination in Harlem, and ultimately defeating him. Banner went back on the run, continuing to try to tame the Hulk.
The Hulk Is Recruited Into The Avengers
Nick Fury considered the Hulk as a candidate for his Avengers Initiative, but he wasn't entirely convinced he could be controlled. Still, Fury's hand was forced when Loki arrived on Earth and stole the Tesseract in The Avengers; its Gamma energy signature meant he needed to recruit the world's foremost expert on this form of radiation, and he therefore turned to Bruce Banner, who he'd secretly been tracking all these years. Loki initially considered the Hulk his own weapon against the nascent Avengers, but this plan backfired. The Hulk was a key player in the Battle of New York, where the Avengers drove back Loki's Chitauri invasion. Consequently, he became one of the OG Avengers.
The Hulk's Rampage In Johannesburg
The Hulk remained active as a member of the Avengers for several years, and Bruce Banner found himself becoming particularly close to Black Widow. Unfortunately, as seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk went out of control after his mind was influenced by Scarlet Witch. He rampaged through Johannesburg, with Iron Man using the Hulkbuster armor to finally take him down. To Bruce Banner, everything he had most feared had finally come to ; the Hulk had destroyed swathes of a major city, risking countless innocent lives, and he morphed into an object of fear. Banner stuck around long enough to defeat Ultron, and then left after the Battle of Sokovia.
The Hulk Becomes Sakaar's Champion
The Hulk's stolen Quinjet slipped through a random wormhole, transporting Thor: Ragnarok, and soon the two had caused a revolution before heading to Asgard to battle Hela. The Hulk fought Hela's wolf Fenrir during the final Battle of Asgard, and watched as the Realm Eternal was destroyed.
The Hulk's Avengers: Infinity War Story
Loki took the Tesseract (again) before Asgard's destruction, and as a result the Asgardian refugees were intercepted by Thanos and the Black Order at the beginning of Hulk fought Thanos, but was easily defeated, with the Mad Titan not even needing to use the Power Stone to beat him. The Hulk only survived this encounter thanks to Heimdall, who transported him to Earth using the Bifrost. There, the Hulk morphed back into the form of Bruce Banner, and warned Earth's heroes about the coming threat. To Banner's horror, the Hulk refused to re-emerge during the next few days, apparently angered at having been taken for granted and simply used as a weapon.
The Coming of "Professor Hulk"
Hulk had become the last of the Avengers. "He would actually be doing the job of all of the Avengers," he explained, "and you would see him feel like a true, amazing Super Hero - and that costume was meant to elucidate that point. Whether it screams it or not, there is an H on his chest."
Five years later, other former Avengers approached Banner and asked him to help them figure out how to use time travel to bring back all those Thanos had erased from existence. The Hulk participated in the time heist, and then used the Infinity Gauntlet - at great personal cost, with his arm badly injured. Still, the Hulk was undoubtedly the only Avenger who could have even survived using the Infinity Gauntlet, given the amount of Gamma energy it released upon use.
Shang-Chi's Post-Credits Mystery
Hulk in the MCU's Phase 4, revealing Banner had learned how to return to human form, albeit with the same injury to his arm. He seems to still be involved in superheroics, however, acting as a scientific adviser to Wong (and, some have speculated, part of the MCU's version of the Illuminati). No doubt She-Hulk will explain the latest changes to the Jade Giant since his debut in The Incredible Hulk.
