A few select characters from The Incredible Hulk are returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it might be too late for one of them.
It may be too late for one very important character from The Incredible Hulk to reappear in future Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. The 2008 film marked the second entry in the MCU but, due to Edward Norton’s recasting and mixed reactions to the movie in general, quickly lost relevance to the future of the franchise, rarely playing into the events of any movies for nearly a decade after its release. Although recent years have seen the return of several elements from the original The Incredible Hulk movie, it seems unlikely that one major character from the film will ever appear again.
Recent years have finally made The Incredible Hulk essential to the Marvel movie timeline, with several characters returning to the franchise after years of absence. William Hurt’s Thaddeus Ross marked the beginning of this trend in Captain America: Civil War, going on to become a vital character in the franchise’s ongoing story. Phase 4 saw the return of Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, a.k.a. the Abomination, in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Furthermore, Phase 5 will include Tim Blake Nelson’s Dr. Samuel Sterns, a.k.a. the Leader, in Captain America: New World Order, nearly completing the franchise’s reinstatement of The Incredible Hulk as canon.
Betty Ross No Longer Makes Sense In The MCU
Although Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross is the MCU’s one missing The Incredible Hulk character yet to be given a triumphant return, the franchise no longer seems to have a place for her. Betty Ross served as Bruce Banner’s love interest in his first MCU outing but mysteriously disappeared immediately after the events of the film, never to be mentioned again outside an alternate-reality appearance in an episode of Marvel’s animated anthology What If…?. Betty’s return seems inevitable after the recent appearances of other The Incredible Hulk characters but wouldn’t make sense at this point in the franchise, which has left her behind for far too long.
Recent MCU films and series have been able to fix The Incredible Hulk‘s characters, including The Abomination, making them dynamic parts of ongoing stories within the franchise. Betty, however, would struggle to fit into the MCU’s current storyline, but even more so that of Bruce Banner. Bruce has seemingly moved on from Betty and has even fathered a child in the time since their separation. Not only would it be awkward for Bruce and Betty to reignite their romance after nearly two decades apart, but it would also feel like a rehashing of an already defunct storyline. Unfortunately for Betty, she simply doesn’t fit Bruce Banner’s current character arc.
Marvel Comics Haven’t Given Betty Many Good Stories To Draw From
Betty Ross also suffers from a lack of compelling stories in Marvel Comics. While Thaddeus Ross’s transformation into the iconic Red Hulk and the Leader’s formation of the Intelligencia are all exciting stories that justify their MCU return, Betty’s comic book stories aren’t nearly as popular. While she does acquire several superhero alter-egos in the comics, including Red She-Hulk and Harpy, neither carry a particularly notable legacy in the Marvel Universe and pale in comparison to other, more popular characters. Bringing Betty to the MCU could only exacerbate her original problem in that there are few good stories to tell about her character.
The Incredible Hulk‘s characters are all returning just as the MCU appears to be setting up an adaptation of the 2007 World War Hulk comics event. Although the MCU may want to put as many Hulks into its World War Hulk movie as possible, cramming Betty’s Red She-Hulk into the project so soon after the introduction of Red Hulk would feel derivative and uninspired, while also failing to do justice to her long-awaited return. The MCU is rapidly running out of room for the return of Betty Ross, signaling that she may remain the one character from The Incredible Hulk that the franchise leaves behind.
Key Release Dates
