The Avengers: Endgame, though some of its are set to return in some of Marvel’s projects, both on the big screen and TV.
While Thor will continue his adventures in space and beyond in Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), Bruce’s cousin who through an emergency blood transfusion from him acquires a milder version of his condition. Although this will give Marvel fans another chance to see Mark Ruffalo’s version of Bruce/Hulk, it’s unlikely this will fix one of the MCU’s biggest mistakes: not exploring Bruce Banner’s humanity.
The Hulk’s debut in the MCU arrived in the often forgotten Mark Ruffalo took his place. The Incredible Hulk told the origin story of the Hulk, following Bruce as he takes part in the experiments of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt), and which resulted in him being exposed to gamma radiation. However, the MCU failed to explore the origin story of Bruce Banner, directly introducing him as a nuclear physicist and biochemist, and the Hulk’s subsequent appearances didn’t explore it either.
The Hulk was reduced to the Avenger with a bad temper who others liked to tease but also used him and his strength when they needed him, though he also created some problems, as happened in an unnecessary romance with Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), which was ignored in the movies that followed.
What has made the Hulk’s run on the big screen difficult is that the focus has been mostly on the Hulk’s origin story rather than Bruce’s, and there can’t be a real balance without telling both sides. Surely, through the introduction of Jennifer Walters, the MCU could take some steps back and explore a bit of Bruce Banner’s humanity and backstory, but ultimately, it’s Jennifer’s story and not Bruce’s. The MCU has done a lot of things right with its characters, but it has also had its failures, as happened with Bruce Banner.
