Smart Hulk was a clever move for Bruce Banner's narrative arc in the come to agreements for Hulk's rights with Universal to make another solo movie. Still, the Green Goliath has a lot of unexplored potential that now seems to be limited by his newfound "Smart Hulk" persona.
Along with Avengers: Infinity War.
When Thanos (Josh Brolin) effortlessly defeated Hulk in the first few minutes of Infinity War, the audience's expectations to see an act of legitimate revenge were through the roof. After all, promotional material for the movie had shown Avengers: Endgame then surprised everyone with Smart Hulk, the fusion between the scientist and the monster, and mostly played it for laughs, thus ending a long-running conflict completely off-camera. But Hulk still has plenty of potential stories to experience, and the MCU could bring back his original, smashing-obsessed form in a number of creative ways.
She-Hulk’s Origin Reverts Smart Hulk To The Original Hulk
With the news of She-Hulk Disney+ show will certainly draw inspiration from her comic book origin, and this could also become the perfect opportunity to bring back the original Hulk to the MCU. The process of the blood transfusion can have side effects on Smart Hulk, awakening the dormant beast that the scientist thought he had tamed.
Tim Blake Nelson's The Leader and Tim Roth's Abomination. These two villains were hellbent on obtaining Hulk's seemingly unlimited power, and they tried to seize it with blood samples and biological experiments, no less. The return of the original Hulk could make the fight between She-Hulk and a team of Gamma-powered antagonists even more fun to watch.
General Ross’s Red Hulk Brings Back The Original Hulk
General Ross (William Hurt) is the only character from The Incredible Hulk that has returned to the MCU. He pressured the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords in Thunderbolt Ross's eventual transformation into the Red Hulk. Despite becoming a bit more forgiving with the world's superpowered beings, his thirst for power seems to have been boiling for decades, and his fixation on the immeasurable power of his former son-in-law, Bruce Banner, isn't a temptation he can shake off easily.
Whenever the MCU decides to introduce the Red Hulk, the return of the original Hulk is a possibility worth considering. Ross can finally fulfill his desire to become much stronger than Smart Hulk, who would find himself compelled to find a way to turn back into his beastly state and face his old nemesis. Without the original of the Avengers (which Ross helped disintegrate with his demands in Civil War), the only characters strong enough to subdue his Red Hulk persona would be Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk. This would go in line with the comics, where both of these Avengers were the only ones capable to stop Red Hulk on his first appearance. Of course, Smart Hulk is nowhere near as strong as he should be to accomplish it.
Bruce Banner Splits Into Different Hulks
To varying degrees, the MCU has adapted Hulk's most important storylines: The Incredible Hulk showed his persecution by the military, the Avengers movies depicted his struggle to control his power as a member of the team, and Thor: Ragnarok glossed over his brief stint as a gladiator on an extraterrestrial planet. However, an important part of the source material is still missing: the clash between his many Hulk incarnations. In the comics, Bruce Banner not only has to deal with the classic green monster (originally called "Savage Hulk"), but also with the likes of Gray Hulk, Joe Fixit, and Devil Hulk. Each one of these personifications has its own personality, its own set of abilities, and its own personal feud with Banner. So far, the MCU has only presented the original Hulk and his smart counterpart, which is based on the Professor Hulk from the comics.
a second Hulk solo movie requires.
The Original Hulk Returns Through The Multiverse
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
It's important to that it was Smart Hulk who talked with the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) in the time heist from Avengers: Endgame, and he was the one to receive both the Time Stone and the explanation of how tinkering with alternate timelines could lead to catastrophic results (or at least very different and unexpected outcomes). This resonates with him because, much like Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his daughter Morgan (Lexi Rabe), Bruce Banner had finally achieved his goal of coming to with Hulk after Thanos snapped half of all life in the universe. Traveling in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones and volunteering to be the one to sacrifice his arm to bring back all the fallen heroes was a big risk for him. The return of the original Hulk could be the biggest climax of his MCU arc, perhaps even requiring him to end his life to put an end to the monster, echoing his attempt to shoot himself and "the other guy" spitting the bullet out.
The Original Hulk Is Needed For Avengers 5
Finally, the return of the original rage-fueled Hulk could come as a sign of his commitment to avenging. The new team for Avengers 5 is still a mystery, but it will certainly be composed of mostly inexperienced heroes in need of a seasoned mentor. Once again, Thor and Hulk are the most appropriate characters to fill that role, as they're both alive and active. Hulk, being the only major superhero to remain active during the five years of "the Blip", might be more prepared, though. As the MCU tries to sur the impact of Thanos, it could diversify its antagonistic forces with a hidden mastermind (i.e. Kang) that truly turns the original Hulk into the main villain of an Avengers movie, finally achieving what Loki (Tom Hiddleston) always wanted.
After She-hulk, it's highly unlikely that the MCU will ignore its various established set-ups to introduce characters like The Leader, Red Hulk, Red She-Hulk, and Doc Samson. Having the chance to finally have all of these characters together - why not throw Hulk into the mix while he's still around? The original, rage-fueled, god-smashing Hulk still has a lot to explore within the multiverse. Smart Hulk can still wait a little bit more to enjoy some tacos on his well-deserved retirement.
