It’s been 18 months since the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did the multi-billion dollar franchise expand to television, but it began using the medium to re-contextualize the films that built its empire in the first place. And no chain has done more work in this regard than She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwhich brings one of the oldest MCU super-villains back to the board.

It’s a clear sign that the 2008 Louis Leterrier movie is really bad Incredible Hulk He’s back at the forefront of the MCU.

[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 9.]

Photo: Marvel Studios

Strong womanThe final episode of the Marvel series may have parodied a lot of Marvel lore, but it persisted: the mid-credits scene in which Wong, the supreme wizard, frees Emil Blonsky, The Abomination, from prison and creates another one with a dangling plot line that he could capture Any future Marvel project.

And Emil Blonsky is not the only villain Incredible Hulk whose revival has become part of the modern MCU – spun a movie that was barely considered part of the Marvel multiverse firmly in the fabric.

Unbelievable Hulk Who?

Photo: Marvel Studios/Universal Pictures

Released under the change of the game Iron Man, It is not difficult to understand why Incredible Hulk It was long lost in the MCU Phase 1 stasis. Although it made the MCU version of the Hulk closer to the comics from Ang Lee’s 2003 the structure The movie, it also played relatively securely. The movie introduces Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) already mixed in, and it’s already up and running. He takes on classic Hulk foes Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) and Abomination (Tim Roth), and we meet the lifelong love of his comic book, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), who leads Bruce to control the monster within him.

With over 20 MCU films to come out since then, and Mark Ruffalo’s most popular iteration of the character, 2008 Incredible Hulk It seems to be heading into oblivion. Then it came Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

That frenetic and fun family saga appeared with Wong (Benedict Wong) Incredible HulkThe abomination villain in an underground fight ring. The choice surprised some MCU fans who assumed it Incredible Hulk It was all but a memory. This rethinking continued with the arrival of She-Hulk, one of Marvel’s most iconic heritage characters, in her Disney Plus series. In this context, reconsider Incredible Hulk It has a lot of meaning, as The origin of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is directly related Until her super strong cousin. The latest Disney Plus series was eager to show that this was more than just a cameo Emile Blonsky (Tim Roth returned for the role) has become a huge part of Jen’s story And he gave Bruce the closure he needed, as well as treating the audience with a descriptive gesture to paraphrase Ruffalo.

While all of this can be interpreted as a proper Hulk work of the Hulk story, During D23, it became clear that the MCU was not over yet Incredible Hulk. In one of the most surprising news from this sprawling weekend, it was revealed that Tim Blake Nelson will be returning to the MCU as the infamous Incredible Hulk villain leader in Captain America: New World Order. Although it may seem like an unexpected diversion, when we look back Incredible Hulk It’s really surprising that the MCU didn’t return to its sophomore year soon.

The MCU was built on the backs of heroes who were by no means an A-list. Iron Man, Nick Fury, Captain America, and Thor were far from the cultural icons they are today. If we look at that list as it was at the time, it’s clear that Hulk was the most famous hero that Marvel Studios had access to. Thanks to decades of comics and his nickname – and huge popularity – TV seriesBruce Banner and his alter ego should have been a major MCU smash.

Photo: Marvel Studios/Universal Pictures

But years of licensing issues meant that Universal owned the rights to the character, which led to Marvel Studios collaborating with Universal Incredible Hulk is happening. And if we look at an important precedent and its impact incredible structure, This is a huge corporate deal like the Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures collaboration that brought Peter Parker to the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

It wasn’t just a pioneering car behind the scenes; Incredible Hulk He also reimagined the origin of Bruce Banner in a way that would become key to the future of the MCU. In the classic comics, Bruce’s powers come from gamma radiation experiments. But in incredible structure, The film recasts its origin as one with a much broader context. Here Bruce was trying to recreate the original Super Soldier serum – a recurring theme and bug that recurs throughout the MCU – and to do so, he replaced the original formula’s Vita radiation with gamma radiation. Incredible Hulk It’s the first place the Super Soldier Serum was introduced, which is why the MCU has the Hulk at all. And soon Emile Blonsky joined him.

And then there was Incredible HulkThaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. One of the main antagonists in the Hulk comics, Ross became a military mainstay in the MCU even as he strayed from his would-be brother-in-law. In fact, Ross became such a major player that it was easy—especially without Tyler Petty present—to forget he was related to Bruce at all. with Strong woman Finally acknowledging the Hulk’s current relationship with the movie where the Ross family first appeared, that’s likely to change. Although Hurt’s tragic death means we’ll likely never see Thaddeus again, we can see the return of Betty — technically we already have it, on an episode of What if…? It’s just another vital part of the Hulk lore that is grounded in the movie… as Leader.

Samuel Sterns is presented in Incredible Hulk As a friend of Bruce Banner – who eventually betrayed him and played a role in creating the abomination – we are last seen transformed into the leader after gamma radiation finds its way into his bloodstream. as such Incredible Hulk He never got a direct sequel, and fans never found out about his fate. But that will change in 2024, when Captain America: New World Order hits theaters. why not? Incredible Hulk It’s time to reconsider. The film introduced many key parts of Bruce’s lore. Why not reintroduce it in the modern era?

Aside from the fact that Marvel Studios is unlikely to let any part of their cinematic business escape the law, a return to Incredible Hulk It’s actually taken from one of the best things about storytelling. A creator can bring something to life that can lie dormant for years before someone else rediscovers it and gives it meaning again. As the MCU grows, we can expect more of this kind of revisit and exploration, and that’s pretty cool.