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Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is likely going to be the only original member of the Avengers by the time the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaches Phase 7. Ruffalo wasn’t the original interpreter of the Hulk in the MCU, with actor Edward Norton originating the role in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. However, Ruffalo has since become synonymous with the popular Marvel character, having appeared in several MCU projects, ranging from the movies to Marvel’s foray onto Disney+, thanks to a short arc on 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Ruffalo’s situation as the Hulk in the MCU differs from that of his fellow Avengers in two important ways. The hero is the only one of the six original MCU Avengers not to get his own project. The other factor is directly related to Ruffalo’s potential longevity in the MCU. While Ruffalo does appear as Bruce Banner, the Hulk is primarily based on motion capture performance for Marvel’s VFX teams, which frees the actor from going through Marvel’s straining physical process that actors like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth have had to go through. Because of that, and more, the Hulk may be the only original Avenger in Phase 7.
The MCU Is Moving On From The Original Avengers
At the start of March, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that a new Avengers team is set to assemble soon in the MCU. According to the Disney executive, the next time Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assemble in a movie — Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — is going to include a whole different team of heroes than what audiences have grown used to. Iger teased as much by saying, “we’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise with a whole new set of Avengers.”
It should be no surprise that the MCU will soon be moving forward with an all-new Avengers team. The original six MCU Avengers — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye — have had four team-up Avengers movies to shine, and it is only natural that the other heroes of the MCU, especially the younger generation, step up to the plate. Besides, following 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, only three of the original Avengers remain active in the MCU. Iron Man and Black Widow sacrificed themselves to defeat Thanos, while Captain America became an old man in the current MCU timeline, leaving Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye standing.
Thor & Hawkeye’s MCU Arcs Are All But Over
While Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner have still to announce when they intend to depart from the MCU, the arcs of their characters, Thor and Hawkeye, are all but over. Hemsworth currently stands as the only actor to have seen their character get four solo movies in the MCU. A role in the next two Avengers movies, or a Thor 5, could help the character play out the father-son arc with Love, established in the previous movie, ending Thor’s MCU journey.
As for Hawkeye, the character’s MCU ending is a little more clear. Hawkeye has been trying to retire as an Avenger in the MCU for quite some time now. The hero has been called back to help save the day a few times. It stands to reason that Clint Barton would be up to help the new Avengers save the multiverse from Kang, but after that, the character already has his perfect replacement. Disney+’s Hawkeye series set up Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop to take on the mantle, learning directly from Clint and allowing the original Hawkeye to bow out of the MCU, retiring to enjoy life with his family off-grid.
Hulk’s MCU Story Still Has More To Accomplish
While Thor and Hawkeye have nearly finished their MCU arcs, the other remaining member of the original Avengers, the Hulk, appears to just be starting a new chapter in the MCU. Marvel Studios recently introduced a character that could replace the Hulk in the new Avengers team. That character is none other than Bruce Banner’s own cousin, Jennifer Walters, who got her own Disney+ series — She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — played by Tatiana Maslany. Ruffalo had a short but effective arc in the series as Hulk. The character taught She-Hulk the basics of her new life and then went off on his own journey.
Seeing Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner interact for a few more years in the MCU with Maslany’s Jennifer Walters would be great, but the most important reason for the Hulk being the only original Avenger left in Phase 7 is actually related only to Banner himself. Hulk’s story in the MCU has more to accomplish, as Banner learned on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law that he was actually a father, introducing his son Skaar — in Hulk form — to Jennifer, her family, and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock. The character’s arrival came as an idea directly from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, meaning the relationship will be important to the future of the MCU.
Phase 7 Could Have Hulk’s Biggest MCU Story Yet
Ruffalo has appeared in several movies and even a TV show in the MCU. However, the Bruce Banner actor has never had a solo Hulk movie to really shine as the character. The only movie the character got in the MCU was 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which featured Norton as Bruce Banner. The reason for Ruffalo not getting to star in a Hulk movie during his long MCU tenure is due to a rights issue between Marvel and Universal. While Marvel could make a Hulk solo movie, the film’s distribution rights would still be tied to Universal, something the Disney-based studio is likely not interested in.
Because of the complicated legal situation, the Hulk has mostly remained a supporting character in the MCU. It appears, though, that this is about to change in Phase 7. Recently, there have been talks about Marvel getting the Hulk rights back from Universal, with a rumored Hulk solo movie possibly ont he way. The film’s story is heavily rumored to be an adaptation of the comics’ World War Hulk. Hulk’s time in Sakaar and his new son could play into the live-action adaptation, as likely would Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross — who might debut as the Red Hulk — giving Ruffalo’s Hulk a blockbuster first solo MCU movie.
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