Marvel Studios could introduce many more Hulk characters to the MCU after Red Hulk makes his much-anticipated debut in Captain America: Brave New World. Bruce Banner’s Hulk has been at the center of the MCU since the franchise’s start, but the gamma-irradiated Avenger is not the only Hulk-like character who has been adapted from Marvel Comics. In fact, there have been seven Hulk characters seen in the MCU’s live-action and animated projects, and 2025’s upcoming Captain America: Brave New World will introduce a new one in the form of President Ross’ Red Hulk.
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The Red Hulk will seemingly be created by the Leader in Captain America: Brave New World, who was also enhanced after being exposed to Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood. As well as these villains and Banner himself, Emil Blonsky’s Abomination, Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk, Skaar, Todd Phelps’ Hulk King and Happy Hogan’s Freak have all been seen in the MCU. Even though the MCU already has many Hulk characters, there are even more from Marvel Comics that haven’t yet appeared; the Red Hulk’s debut could open the doors for these Hulks to debut.
10 Betty Ross’ Red She-Hulk
Red She-Hulk First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 2009’s Hulk (Vol. 2) #15
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The MCU already has She-Hulk, and Red Hulk will make his first appearance in 2025, so Marvel Studios may have laid the foundations for the debut of Red She-Hulk. After being poisoned by the Abomination and placed in cryo-sleep in 1998, Betty Ross was resurrected by the Leader and MODOK in 2009 at the urging of their new ally and her father, Thaddeus Ross, who had recently become the Red Hulk. Betty was put through the same process as her father, granting her Hulk-like abilities, though her mind is twisted into a confused and aggressive state.
Related Why Liv Tyler Is Returning To The MCU Now
It’s been reported that Liv Tyler is returning as Betty Ross, making it over a decade since the character’s last appearance in the primary MCU.
Liv Tyler debuted as Betty Ross in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and is set to reprise the role in Captain America: Brave New World. Tyler’s return to the MCU could hint at the Red She-Hulk emerging, which could give her a more substantive role than her prior appearance. This could also add new complexities to Bruce Banner’s own MCU story, as he could rekindle his romantic relationship with Betty Ross, with her potentially now better-understanding his abilities and his previous lack of control.
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9 Peter Parker’s Spider-Hulk
Spider-Man First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 1990’s Web Of Spider-Man #70
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One of Spider-Man’s weirdest forms appeared in 1990 after Peter Parker found himself in a brief altercation with the Hulk involving a strange gamma radiation-emitting device. The Biokinetic Energy Absorber bestowed Parker with the Hulk’s powers, but also drained him of these abilities in the same story, though several other versions of the Spider-Hulk were seen in later Marvel Comics events. Spider-Hulk emerged in 2007 as one of Calvin Zabo’s mutates, while an alternate universe Bruce Banner was also bitten by a radioactive spider, which could make for a fun What If…? story in the MCU.
Sony’s animated
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
showed the possibilities of introducing some of the weirdest versions of Spider-Man into the MCU, thanks to the inclusion of the Spider Society.
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The journey of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU probably won’t lead to him becoming Spider-Hulk, especially since his story took a dark turn in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home when the world forgot him. With the animated What If…? storyline ending after season 3, it also seems unlikely the Spider-Hulk will appear in this series. However, Marvel Studios is still exploring the multiverse, so it’s possible Spider-Hulk could be a wacky inclusion in an upcoming project, perhaps as the Hulk of The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ New York, or as a variant in Avengers: Secret Wars.
8 Rick Jones’ A-Bomb
A-Bomb First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 2008’s Hulk (Vol. 2) #2
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Despite being one of the Hulk’s closest friends throughout his entire history in Marvel Comics, Rick Jones hasn’t yet made his MCU debut. Depicted for the most part as a regular, unpowered human, Rick Jones briefly became a Hulk-like character in 1986, but soon after lost these powers. In 2008, however, Rick Jones shockingly transformed into the blue-skinned A-Bomb after escaping from a secret facility. This transformation was again revealed to be the work of Intelligencia members MODOK and the Leader, but using the Abomination’s blood instead of the Hulk’s.
There was previously speculation that Rick Jones would appear in 2019’s
Captain Marvel
, but this didn’t come to fruition.
As A-Bomb, Rick Jones fought alongside the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and many more, but his powers are later drained by Bruce Banner in his twisted Doc Green persona. It’s surprising that Rick Jones hasn’t yet been seen in the MCU, especially since he is intricately connected to many heroes, including the Hulk, the Avengers, the original Captain Marvel and Captain America, among others. It’s very likely that an upcoming MCU project will introduce Rick Jones to the MCU, though perhaps less likely he’ll become A-Bomb, as great as this would be to see in live-action.
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7 Kluh
Kluh First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 2014’s Avengers Vs. X-Men: AXIS #4
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Described as “the Hulk’s Hulk,” Kluh (“Hulk” spelled backwards) emerged during the AXIS event of 2014, which saw the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom inadvertently cast an inversion spell that turned many heroes into villains and vice versa. The Hulk turned into Kluh after an altercation with the Avengers, who wanted to kill the Red Skull with Professor X’s soul trapped inside. He subsequently rampages across the United States, though this version of the Hulk doesn’t exist for very long before being reverted to normal in time for 2015’s Secret Wars.
Related The MCU Just Took A Bold First Step Towards X-Men Vs Avengers – But We Need More
A conspicuous addition to the What If…? season 3 trailer means that Marvel may have just taken a much-needed step closer to Avengers vs. X-Men.
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The AXIS event in Marvel Comics marked an epic battle between the Avengers and the X-Men, and since the titular mutant team are set to debut in the MCU in the next few years, it’s possible this story could be adapted for the MCU. This could create the perfect opportunity for Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk to become something of a villain, perhaps even unleashing the savage Kluh, mirroring his more brutal tendencies that audiences have been missing from the MCU’s early projects. This would mark another huge change for Bruce Banner that would be game-changing for the MCU.
6 Wade Wilson’s Hulkpool
Hulkpool First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 2010’s Hulked Out Heroes
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Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson recently officially joined the MCU in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, creating the opportunity for the strange Hulkpool to become an antagonist in the franchise’s future. This is the case in 2010’s two-issue Hulked Out Heroes event, which includes Hulk versions of a number of heroes, including Captain America, Wolverine and Thor, among others. In this story, Hulkpool acts as a villain, as he is sent back in time by HYDRA to kill his past self, but meets various twisted heroes on his travels.
Ryan Reynolds previously portrayed Deadpool in 20th Century Fox’s
X-Men
franchise, but was quickly confirmed to be joining the MCU after Disney’s acquisition of Fox was finalized in 2019.
Hulked Out Heroes was part of the greater World War Hulks storyline that spread across the entire Marvel Universe, and Hulkpool was eventually successful in killing an alternate timeline’s version of Deadpool, though he stops the origin stories of many other heroes from occurring in the process. Many Deadpool variants appeared as the Deadpool Corps in Deadpool & Wolverine, but Hulkpool was, unfortunately, not one of them. If the Deadpool Corps are revisited in the MCU’s future, Hulkpool would be a fantastic adversary for the hilarious group of Mercs with Mouths.
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5 Titan
Titan First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 2022’s Hulk (Vol. 5) #6
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Described as the deadliest Hulk ever, Titan was a giant, flaming version of the Hulk who seemed to have more stone-like skin than Bruce Banner’s green Avenger. Titan was a terrifying depiction of the Hulk, and a demonstration of the wild and haunting possibilities that could befall the MCU’s live-action version of Bruce Banner. Since Titan is the most recent alternate version of the Hulk seen in Marvel Comics, it would be great to see him quickly adapted into the MCU, though it’s unclear when this could occur, as Banner’s own future hasn’t been secured.
Related 6 Versions Of Hulk That Can Appear In The MCU Phase 5 & 6
The Hulk has taken on a variety of different personas in Marvel Comics, and while a few have been seen in the MCU, the others could debut very soon.
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Marvel Studios has received criticism over the years for “nerfing” the Hulk, which eventually culminated in him becoming Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. This has seemingly stripped the Hulk of a lot of his power and savagery, but transforming Bruce Banner into Titan would be a fantastic way to bring back these darker tones. This would also be a great way to personify Bruce Banner’s internal conflict and anger as a giant, looming beast. It’s unclear when Mark Ruffalo will return as the Hulk, but exploring his darker textures would be a great idea for his return.
4 Doc Samson
Doc Samson First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 1971’s The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #141
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Now, Doc Samson has technically already been seen in the MCU, as Ty Burrell played Dr. Leonard Samson, Betty Ross’ partner in Bruce Banner’s absence, in The Incredible Hulk. However, Burrell hasn’t been seen in the MCU since 2008, so it would be great to see him return to bring Doc Samson fully to life, especially now that Liv Tyler is also returning as Betty Ross. Doc Samson was one of the first characters to receive Hulk powers other than Bruce Banner, though it was only his luscious hair that turned green.
|
The Incredible Hulk Returnee |
Returned In |
Year |
|---|---|---|
|
Bruce Banner’s Hulk |
The Avengers |
2012 |
|
Thaddeus Ross |
Captain America: Civil War |
2016 |
|
Roger Harrington |
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
2017 |
|
Emil Blonsky’s Abomination |
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings |
2021 |
|
Samuel Sterns’ Leader |
Captain America: Brave New World |
2025 |
|
Betty Ross |
Captain America: Brave New World |
2025 |
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After Bruce Banner briefly cured himself of the Hulk by siphoning off the gamma radiation, Leonard Skivorski Jr. absorbed some for himself, becoming the superpowered Doc Samson. He has been depicted as both a hero and a villain in the years since, so could be a wonderfully complex character to reintroduce to the MCU. Ty Burrell is one of the last The Incredible Hulk cast members who haven’t returned to the MCU, and though there has been no word on whether he will be returning, it will be beneficial for the MCU if he does.
3 Bruce Banner’s Maestro
Maestro First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 1992’s The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect #1
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Bruce Banner has been through many transformations in both the MCU and in Marvel Comics, and these changes continue into the future, as proven by the introduction of Maestro in 1992. Maestro is a supervillain version of the Hulk from a twisted, post-apocalyptic future which has seen the Earth ravaged by nuclear war. He has Bruce Banner’s intelligence, the Hulk’s strength and a malevolence that makes him incredibly terrifying, but also makes him the perfect variant to be seen in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, as he is a fantastic dark mirror to Mark Ruffalo’s Smart Hulk.
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The Maestro had altercations with Spider-Man 2099 in Marvel Comics, who has recently been voiced by Oscar Isaac in Sony’s animated
Spider-Verse
movies.
Notably, Maestro famously battled Hercules in Marvel Comics, and the Greek God has recently made his MCU debut in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Brett Goldstein’s Hercules is expected to become a huge part of the MCU’s future, should he actually return, so it would be great for his battle with this dark and corrupted Hulk to be brought into live-action. Many variants have already been introduced in the Multiverse Saga, so there’s absolutely nothing to stop Maestro being next, and he would be a formidable and memorable inclusion in Avengers: Secret Wars.
2 Joe-Fixit
Joe-Fixit First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 1988’s The Incredible Hulk #347
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Speaking of Hulk variants that could appear in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, Joe-Fixit is another fantastic option. While Bruce Banner rejoined with the Hulk after Doc Samson tried to separate them, this connection was unstable, and the Vision’s attempt to stabilize this bond turned the Hulk’s skin to its original gray color and meant that the Hulk could only emerge at night. After a brief stint in space, the gray Hulk returned to Earth and took a job at a Las Vegas casino under the alias, Joe-Fixit, a suit-sporting version of the Hulk who seemingly renounced his Bruce Banner identity.
Related 10 Superpowers Hulk Still Hasn’t Used In The MCU 15 Years After His Debut
The Hulk has a lot more powers than just mere strength, and the MCU has still only scratched the surface of what he can do, even after 15 years.
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Deadpool & Wolverine introduced the Wolverine variant Patch to the MCU, and the eyepatch-wearing mutant has a connection to Joe-Fixit in Marvel Comics, as the pair embarked on an adventure together in the seedy underworld of Madripoor in 1989. Patch’s appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine created the perfect opportunity for Joe-Fixit to also make his live-action debut, so it would be great for both these variations to be seen in the MCU’s future. This could help to explore Madripoor in more detail after its introduction in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
1 Amadeus Cho’s Brawn
Amadeus Cho First Appeared In Marvel Comics In 2005’s Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #15
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Perhaps the Hulk character with the most potential of joining the MCU soon is Amadeus Cho, who played a key role in 2007’s World War Hulk storyline, which has been heavily rumored to be adapted for the MCU. Korean-American teenager Amadeus Cho was introduced to Marvel Comics as one of the smartest people alive, and he becomes an ally to the Hulk and, later, Hercules, who takes over the Hulk’s series following World War Hulk. Eight months after the events of 2015’s Secret Wars, Amadeus Cho became the Hulk after absorbing Bruce Banner’s gamma radiation to prevent a nuclear meltdown.
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Related 2026 Secretly Has The Perfect Setup For The MCU’s Fifth Hulk
An MCU character that has ties to Vision and the Hulk could potentially return in an upcoming 2026 Marvel project, setting up another future Hulk.
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As the Totally Awesome Hulk, and later as Brawn, Amadeus Cho becomes a member of the young superhero team, the Champions, and is eventually recruited into Jimmy Woo’s Asian superhero team, the Agents of Atlas. This could make Amadeus Cho, whose mother, Helen, was portrayed by Claudia Kim in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, a key component in the MCU’s Young Avengers team or Agents of Atlas team, which has been speculated to appear in Shang-Chi 2. Amadeus Cho could continue the legacy of the Hulk far into the MCU’s future, which is incredibly exciting.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Created by Kevin Feige Upcoming Films Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts* , Blade (2025) , The Fantastic Four: First Steps , Avengers: Doomsday (2026) , Avengers: Secret Wars Upcoming TV Shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos , Ironheart , Daredevil: Born Again , Wakanda , Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , Marvel Zombies , Wonder Man , Vision Quest
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Upcoming MCU Movies
-
Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025
- Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date July 25, 2025
- Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Release Date May 1, 2026
- Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date July 24, 2026
- Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027
Captain America: Brave New World
Thunderbolts*
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Avengers: Secret Wars