Hulk's True MCU Replacement Can Finally Deliver The Bruce Banner Story Marvel Gave Up On

By Lewis Glazebrook

Published Nov 29, 2024

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The Bruce Banner story that Marvel has forgotten could finally be delivered by the Hulk's true MCU replacement in an unexpected film: Thunderbolts* is perhaps the more intriguing of the three.

The reason for this stems not only from 2025 Marvel movie. Interestingly, the deeper elements of Bob's character that have not been unveiled in the marketing for Thunderbolts* could lead to a true Bruce Banner story and the MCU's main Hulk replacement.

Sentry Is Coming To The MCU In 2025

Bob Has A Bigger MCU Role Than Many Think Possible

Lewis Pullman as Bob in Thunderbolts Next to Sentry in Marvel Comics

The reason that Bob could be classed as the MCU's Hulk replacement is his true status as Marvel's Sentry. Bob will likely be short for Robert Reynolds in Thunderbolts*, whose superhero identity is Sentry. Sentry is a massively powerful character from Marvel Comics and, as such, is essentially the brand's version of DC Comics' Superman.

This will give Thunderbolts* a much-needed dose of raw superheroic strength, given the titular team is made up primarily of assassins and a few super-soldiers. How exactly Sentry will tie into Thunderbolts* story remains to be seen, especially with the film's trailers set on keeping Bob's true identity a secret. That said, prior knowledge from Marvel Comics provides somewhat of a roap for the character in Thunderbolts*, bringing the aforementioned Bruce Banner/Hulk similarities to light.

Sentry Can Deliver The Most Interesting Hulk Story The MCU Moved Past

Hulk's Internal Struggle Is On Another Level With Sentry

The Hulk story in question is the internal conflict Bruce Banner has always faced between his benevolent side and the more "evil" personality. Of course, it is worth noting that the Hulk is not outright evil and has rarely ever been depicted as so, but his intense anger has often led to the Hulk causing a lot of damage to the people of Earth. In the MCU, this struggle between Bruce and Hulk was highlighted best in 2008's The Incredible Hulk and 2012's The Avengers.

Original Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno against Matrix-like background

The Original Hulk Actor Is Right - It's Time For The MCU To Make Hulk Scary Again

Original live-action Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno has let his thoughts on a long-running MCU debate be known, and the Hulk could do with a major change.

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Beyond these movies, and one brief scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the more angry side of Hulk has faded away in favor of other character arcs. Via Sentry, though, this story of internal conflict between two opposing forces can be realized in Thunderbolts*. In Marvel Comics, the unbelievable power of Sentry is offset by a physical manifestation of pure evil.

Sentry's worst enemy is himself, or at least the incredibly dark opposite half within him...

Robert Reynolds first became the Void during his Marvel Comics origin story, a force of true evil whose powers are nearly limitless that the former cannot control. This led to the creation of Sentry too, an all-powerful force for good that opposes the Void. Therefore, Sentry's worst enemy is himself, or at least the incredibly dark opposite half within him. Through Thunderbolts*, this storyline can be capitalized on the MCU to an extreme that the Hulk's own internal conflict was not, providing a true replacement for the Bruce Banner story many thought was lost for good.