The Hulks That Need To Join The MCU After She-Hulk
Contains spoilers for "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" Season 1 finale
"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" confirms what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been teasing since Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) created the Abomination (Tim Roth): In rare instances, Bruce Banner's (Mark Ruffalo) blood can be used to make new Hulks. This, of course, opens a highly interesting avenue for the movies and Disney+ series, especially since Ruffalo has already given hints at Hulk's potential MCU future. In fact, the "She-Hulk" finale already provides a significant hint at his future storylines by introducing the MCU version of Hulk's son, Skaar (Wil Deusner).
In the comics, the Hulk situation hasn't been a simple "one Hulk vs. one puny Banner" thing in a long time. Over the years, there have been so many versions of the classic Hulk alone that it's entirely possible to have a favorite Hulk, in the same way people have a favorite X-Man or Avenger. What's more, there are also numerous non-Banner Hulks running around the comic book pages, all with their own troubles and superpowered battles.
Since the MCU seems to be building its own array of Hulks and assorted gamma-powered characters, it seems to be just a matter of time before some of the lesser-known comics Hulks get their chance. Here are the Hulks that most desperately need their moment in the MCU limelight.
Red Hulk
Red Hulk is exactly what it says on the tin: he's a Hulk, but red instead of green. In the comics, his identity comes with a delicious twist when it turns out that this Hulk's "puny Banner" is the significantly less puny Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, Hulk's arguably worst (and definitely most dedicated) human enemy.
General Ross is a military man who can usually be found heading whatever armed forces organization is trying to contain Hulk, so the news that his obsession had led to his own spin on Hulking out is surprising to say the least. As Red Hulk, he retains Ross' martial skills, making him an extra dangerous adversary. His power set is also somewhat different from the not-so-jolly green giant fans have come to know. While normal Hulk powers up when he gets angry, Red Hulk starts radiating heat – while still being extremely strong, of course. Throw in some energy absorption powers, and he could surely be a powerful adversary to virtually anyone in the MCU.
The trouble with Red Hulk is that the actor portraying Ross in the MCU, William Hurt, tragically passed away in 2022. However, the character remains somewhat integral to the Hulk mythos, especially since the comics Ross is Hulked up by the Leader (Tim Blake Nelson, who's set to return in the MCU in "Captain America: New World Order") and M.O.D.O.K., who will join the MCU in "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania." As such, Marvel Studios will have to figure out whether they should give the Red Hulk powers to another character or risk navigating the nigh-impossible waters of recasting Ross. Regardless of how they'll go about it, Red Hulk joining the MCU wouldn't be a massive shock — especially since in the comics, he's also an important member of the Thunderbolts.
Betty Ross
In the event that Red Hulk isn't available, there's always Red She-Hulk – the Hulk identity of Bruce Banner's love interest and Thunderbolt Ross' daughter, Betty Ross. Of course, Red She-Hulk could be a bit redundant if Red Hulk does make an appearance before her, which would pose a bit of a problem for Betty. After all, while she does have another gamma-powered identity, the less said about it the better. Let's just hope that the MCU isn't tone-deaf enough to try and introduce a superpowered woman called Harpy, especially after devoting so much "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" time to tear down that sort of thing.
However, Betty Ross herself is very cool, especially since the MCU version of the character is played by none other than the inimitable Liv Tyler. The MCU Betty hasn't made an appearance since 2008's "The Incredible Hulk." Meanwhile, Tyler has spent the intervening years honing her craft on projects like "The Leftovers," "Ad Astra," "9-1-1: Lone Star," and "Wildling." If the MCU finds a way to bring her back, Tyler would no doubt prove to be a great asset – and if it takes Hulk powers to do that, so be it. Just, you know, let's try to avoid the whole Harpy thing.
Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho's Hulk journey is very different from that of Bruce Banner. He's already an established super-genius crimefighter by the time he becomes a Hulk – which he does voluntarily by absorbing some of Hulk's excess radiation. Cho's initial control over his Hulk is also considerably better than Banner's, to the point that he dubs himself the Totally Awesome Hulk. Of course, Hulk always wins in the end, and Cho eventually encounters plenty of trouble on the self-control front.
Cho would be an interesting addition in the MCU both as a character in his own right, and as an example of yet another path to become a Hulk. As the whole "Totally Awesome Hulk" thing implies, he's also a somewhat light-hearted character, which would fit pretty well in with the MCU's recent penchant for Hulk-themed comedy. He probably won't be the very next Hulk to make his MCU debut, but it wouldn't be all that surprising if his name was already somewhere on K.E.V.I.N.'s brainstorming whiteboard.
Joe Fixit
By and large, this list steers away from Bruce Banner's Hulk alters like the Green Scar and Devil Hulk. After all, the MCU seems to be doing its own, subtle version of different Hulks by constantly evolving the character's look and personality. However, there's one comics Hulk persona who's simply too cool to adhere to such puny rules. This would be Joe Fixit, aka the Grey Hulk.
While (relatively) small, pallid and caveman-like, the Grey Hulk makes up for this by being much smarter and more verbose than his traditional, green counterpart. What's more, he's a straight-up mob type dude, and has been known to wear neat pinstripe suits and wield old-school machine guns when he's not actively Hulking about.
A mobster Hulk is a delightful concept that would bring no end of potential in the goofier side of the MCU — just imagine his interactions with She-Hulk, Thor, or the Guardians of the Galaxy. As an added bonus, the "Immortal Hulk" comics reveal that Joe Fixit can also surface in Banner's body instead of physically becoming a Hulk ... and now we're all imagining Mark Ruffalo acting tough while chewing a toothpick and wearing a fedora.
Rick Jones
In the interest of not making this article novel-length, an attempt has been made to steer away from Hulk-themed heroes who aren't created by gamma exposure (sorry, Hulkling), as well as gamma-irradiated heavy hitters who aren't generally classified as Hulks (sorry, Sasquatch and Doc Samson). However, there's one extremely integral player in Hulk's story who's yet to make an appearance in the MCU, and whose occasional Hulk-ness is only a very small part of his personal history.
In the comics, Rick Jones starts out as the kid Bruce Banner saved from the Gamma bomb explosion, thus exposing himself to the blast and becoming the Hulk. Ever since then, Rick has been a jack-of-all-trades in the comics. Apart from being a notable supporting character in various Hulk comics, he's acted as a sidekick for numerous prominent superheroes, as well as gained various superpowers of his own on more than one occasion.
Though it's hardly his main claim to fame, some versions of Rick have also been Hulks, and this part of his story would be interesting to explore in live action. Though he hasn't physically appeared in the MCU yet, his existence was hinted at in "The Incredible Hulk," and him turning up with Hulk powers after all these years could very well give Bruce Banner his own "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" moment.
Introducing a Hulk version of Rick Jones and giving him a Bucky Barnes-style MCU arc would not only be a handy way to introduce this giant missing piece of Hulk's comic book stories. It would also be a fun nod to his comics background — after all, he was once Captain America's sidekick, and used the Bucky moniker during this time.