The Incredible Hulk has been the black sheep of the MCU family for a long time, but recently things seem to have shifted to bring the 2008 back into the connectivity of the franchise with multiple characters returning during Phase 4 and Phase 5. While speaking at the trailer launch of Fast X, director Louis Leterrier reminisced about what it means to him to have worked on what he says is the movie the MCU was “birthed out of.” When asked about the returns of Abomination and The Leader to the franchise, he told ComicBook.com:

“I’m happy they’re healthy, I’m happy they’re alive. It’s incredible. I was there at the beginning of Marvel. This was a very special time. We created this studio. We created… Yeah, the MCU was birthed out of The Incredible Hulk. Tony Stark walked into The Incredible Hulk and said, ‘I’m putting together a team,’ and which one is it? Obviously, the Avengers. That was the beginning. No one thought… We had hopes; Kevin and I had hopes that he would become something like this as fans. … It’s kind of like the same thing [with Fast X]. If you do movies, if you bring something as a fan to the fans, if you respect your audience, because you are one of them, it will go a long way. So yeah, I mean, I can’t wait for these characters, our new characters, to be 20 years from now in other movies.”

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How Is The Incredible Hulk Becoming Relevant In the MCU After 15 Years?

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In the years following the release of The Incredible Hulk, the title role was recast by the time Bruce Banner reappeared in The Avengers, with Mark Ruffalo taking over from Edward Norton. Taking that into consideration, the only character/actor who continued to appear in the franchise was Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by William Hurt until the actor’s death in 2022.
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However, 2021 saw Tim Roth return as Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a role he returned to again in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Another returner from The Incredible Hulk will be Tim Blake Nelson, who joined the cast of Captain America: New World Order as Samuel Sterns, aka The Leader. Along with Harrison Ford assuming the role of Thaddeus Ross going forward, there are now many connections linking the new phases of the MCU to one of the original foundation movies of the Marvel Universe.

The many rumors that complicated the rights surrounding The Incredible Hulk will soon be resolved, allowing Marvel Studios to use the character as a standalone character and not just as a part of an ensemble. She-Hulk’s final episode added to speculation of a World War Hulk movie being in the works by introducing Skaar, Hulk’s son. While there has been no official word yet on when Hulk’s story may finally move ahead, it may also include a look back at his past to explain his two years spent on Sakaar, and for many fans, that is an exciting prospect for the future.