Smart Marvel Phase 7 Theory Reveals The MCU"s Surprising Hulk Replacement

Marvel Studios has already teased the perfect replacement for the Hulk in the MCU's Phase 7. The Hulk is one of the MCU's oldest characters, introduced in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, originally played by Edward Norton but replaced by Mark Ruffalo from The Avengers onwards. Since his debut, Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, has seen more character development than most MCU heroes, leading to him combining his two personas into Smart Hulk during Avengers: Endgame, but Marvel Studios has been teasing one major Hulk storyline from Marvel Comics that could soon bring the Hulk's MCU journey to an end.
Starting with the Hulk's self-inflicted exile at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel Studios has been laying the foundations for an adaptation of Marvel Comics' World War Hulk storyline, which was released in 2007. The introduction of Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok, the alternate version of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the debut of the Hulk's son, Skaar, in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's series finale all point to the eventual development of a World War Hulk project in the MCU. World War Hulk ended with Bruce Banner's incarceration, only to be replaced by yet another incredibly strong Marvel hero.
Hercules Replaced The Hulk After Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk Marvel Comics' Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines, created by Greg Pak and John Romita Jr., saw the Hulk banished from Earth by the Illuminati, finding himself launched into space where he settles on Sakaar. After building a life on Sakaar, the shuttle that the Hulk traveled aboard explodes, killing his wife, which causes the Hulk to return to Earth with a vendetta against the heroes who exiled him in the first place. World War Hulk is an epic crossover event that features most of Marvel's roster of heroes, and ends in a dramatic battle between the Hulk and the Sentry, during which the Hulk is incapacitated and imprisoned.
In the aftermath of 2007's World War Hulk, Marvel Comics' run of The Incredible Hulk was replaced by The Incredible Hercules, which continued the story of Hercules and his soon-to-be-Hulk and genius sidekick Amadeus Cho. Hercules was the perfect character to replace the Hulk in his self-titled series, as both express remarkable power, the Hulk from his exposure to gamma radiation, and Hercules from his connection to the Greek pantheon. Bruce Banner eventually returned for more adventures as the Hulk, but Hercules' replacement of the Hulk after World War Hulk put the Greek demigod on the map.
Brett Goldstein’s Hercules Can Replace The Hulk In The MCU Despite being seen as one of the weakest MCU projects in Phase 4, Thor: Love & Thunder did introduce many new characters to the MCU, including Hercules himself during the film's mid-credits scene. Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein portrayed Hercules, the son of Zeus, during Thor: Love & Thunder and is expected to appear in future MCU projects, particularly since Love & Thunder set up a rivalry between Hercules and Thor. However, there's currently been no word on Hercules' return to the franchise, but a potential World War Hulk project in the MCU's Phase 6 or beyond could quickly solve this issue.
Recent developments in Chris Hemsworth's personal life have led to speculation that the MCU's Multiverse Saga will culminate in Thor's death, potentially at the hands of Kang the Conqueror. If this is the case, Goldstein's Hercules has the opportunity to replace not only the Hulk but also Thor, as both are supremely powerful mythological figures. This could mean that Hercules will get a lot more development during the MCU's Phase 7, assuming a World War Hulk project is on the docket for the MCU either just before or immediately after Avengers: Secret Wars. Hercules' inclusion in the MCU can help to solve one major issue with the MCU's post-credits scenes.


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