Marvel Now Has The Perfect Way To Bring The Hulk Back Before The Next Avengers Movie

:0:1

Marvel Studios has the perfect opportunity to bring Bruce Banner's Hulk back to the MCU in Phase 6's Vision series, following several years of the hero being absent and underused. The Hulk has been one of Marvel's most recognizable and popular characters since his debut in 1962, and this continued with his live-action adaptation. Mark Ruffalo first appeared as Bruce Banner in 2012's The Avengers, following Edward Norton's debut four years prior, and the Hulk quickly became a central figure in the MCU, but this hasn't been the case in recent years.
Since the Multiverse Saga kicked off, Bruce Banner's Hulk has been noticeably absent from the MCU. Ruffalo made brief appearances in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but the once-pivotal Avenger has taken a backseat to some of the MCU's newer heroes, which is a shame. Thankfully, however, Marvel Studios may have set up the perfect opportunity to change this, finally bringing Bruce Banner's Hulk back to the MCU just before the Avengers come back together in Phase 6.
Bruce Banner's Live-Action MCU Project
Year
Actor
The Incredible Hulk
2008
Edward Norton
The Avengers
2012
Mark Ruffalo
Iron Man 3
2013
Mark Ruffalo
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
Mark Ruffalo
Thor: Ragnarok
2017
Mark Ruffalo
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Mark Ruffalo
Captain Marvel
2019
Mark Ruffalo
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Mark Ruffalo
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021
Mark Ruffalo
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
2022
Mark Ruffalo
Bruce Banner’s Connection To Vision & Ultron Means He Could Return In The MCU’s Vision Series Close While Marvel Studios hasn't yet confirmed Mark Ruffalo's return to the MCU as Bruce Banner, the upcoming Vision series could be the perfect place to bring him back into the fray. James Spader was recently announced to be reprising his role of Ultron in Terry Matalas' Vision series. Given Bruce Banner's crucial role in the origin of both Ultron and Vision, it seems very likely that he'll join Spader and MCU veteran Paul Bettany. Back in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bruce Banner helped Tony Stark develop the Ultron program, and later helped him bring Vision to life.

Related Every Actor Cast In MCU's Vision Show (So Far) With the MCU’s Vision series set to come out in 2026, here are all the actors cast in the upcoming show so far, both new and familiar.
2 It would be a wonderful full-circle moment if Bruce Banner returns in the Vision series to confront his creation, Ultron. Banner's last experience with Ultron culminated in his exiling himself, but that was a long time ago. Since then, Banner has merged the human and Hulk, so a rematch against Ultron may go far differently. Banner also put his expertise to the test to try and save Vision in Avengers: Infinity War, though this ultimately turned out to be futile. It would be great for the Vision series to include a cameo from Ruffalo's original Avenger.
Marvel Is About To Break A Hulk Record That Makes An Appearance In The Vision Series Even More Necessary

Since Mark Ruffalo debuted as the Hulk in 2012's The Avengers, the character has never gone more than two years without making a live-action appearance in the MCU. This isn't counting Norton's debut in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, or Ruffalo's voice role in the animated What If...? series. There is speculation of Bruce Banner's return in 2025's Captain America: Brave New World, but Marvel is about to break this record anyway, as the Hulk hasn't been seen in the MCU since the finale of 2022's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
The series will likely set up important story points for Doomsday.
Marvel Television's Vision series is expected to premiere in 2026, presumably before Avengers: Doomsday. The series will likely set up important story points for Doomsday, with recent speculation suggesting the series will introduce the West Coast Avengers ahead of the crossover movie, and this would be a fantastic place for Bruce Banner's Hulk to return. This would mark a four-year gap between Bruce Banner's most recent and next upcoming appearance, mirroring the Hulk's absence from the MCU back in Phase 1.

Vision Quest 2 Your Rating 5 stars 4.5 stars 4 stars 3.5 stars 3 star 2.5 stars 2 stars 1.5 stars 1 stars 0.5 star Rate Now Submit Rate Now Edit
Your comment has not been saved
ActionAdventureScience Fiction Marvel Studios' Vision Quest is a limited series set in the MCU and released on Disney+. It reveals the fate of Paul Bettany's resurrected Avenger, which was last seen fleeing Westview at the end of 2021's WandaVision. After the original synthezoid died at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, his body was reassembled by the secret organization SWORD, and his consciousness was restored by Scarlet Witch's magically recreated version of the robot.
Cast Paul Bettany , James Spader Streaming Service(s) Disney Plus Showrunner Terry Matalas Prequel WandaVision Production Company Marvel Television Release Window 2026 Expand Upcoming MCU Movies