2 Arch-Enemies Of Hulk Will Appear In 2025, & Hulk Won't Even Get To Fight Them
Summary
- Captain America: Brave New World brings back two major Hulk villains, hinting at a potential Red Hulk appearance and a showdown with The Leader.
- Hulk’s absence from battling his classic foes disappoints fans, who are eager to see a more serious and personal conflict in the MCU.
- While the MCU has sidelined Hulk’s darker aspects for humor, a solo movie with his iconic adversaries could bring out his true character depth.
Two major Hulk antagonists are returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: Brave New World, but the green-skinned giant will most likely not fight them. Out of all the MCU movies so far, Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of genius physicist Bruce Banner and his gigantic alter ego Hulk have been unfortunate in getting a solo movie. After Ang Lee’s polarizing Hulk with Eric Bana in the lead, Edward Norton starred in The Incredible Hulk which remains the MCU’s only standalone Hulk movie so far. Since then, Ruffalo has played the character in Avengers movies but only in supporting capacities.
While The Incredible Hulk seemed to be ignored by the MCU timeline, some projects have hinted at its importance by bringing back certain characters. This includes two major villains who are expected to play a major role in the story of Captain America: Brave New World. Even Banner’s love interest Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) is expected to return in this 2025 project that will follow the events of the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While news of a solo movie with Ruffalo’s Banner still seems uncertain, these classic characters from the Hulk mythology are very much returning.
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Captain America: Brave New World Has 2 Hulk Villains
General Ross And The Leader Are Returning To The MCU
Focusing on Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, the 2025 MCU movie Captain America: Brave New World has already teased Harrison Ford’s casting as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Tim Blake Nelson’s return as the Leader. A role earlier played by the late actor William Hurt, General Ross was introduced as a ruthless military leader who is hellbent on exterminating the Hulk. Through the events of Captain America: Civil War, Ross supported the initiative of state-sponsored superheroes. In the new Captain America movie, Ross is also likely to turn into his superpowered alias Red Hulk just like in the comics.
Despite his antihero and occasional villain status, General Ross will be working with Sam Wilson to rebuild the Avengers in
Captain America: Brave New World
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The MCU’s Red Hulk theories seem very plausible considering Thunderbolts is also among the upcoming Marvel releases. In the comics, Ross often leads this antiheroic covert strike team as Red Hulk. The other Hulk to make his MCU return is The Leader, the super-sentient being whose initial human form was briefly teased in The Incredible Hulk. Tim Blake Nelson played cellular biologist Samuel Sterm, who tries to develop an antidote to alter Bruce Banner’s condition. However, the movie found him getting exposed to a certain substance that increases his head, foreshadowing his transformation into The Leader, a superintelligent mastermind villain.
Hulk Not Fighting His Villains Is Wrong
It’s High Time That Hulk Gets A Solo Movie To Face Off Against Such Classic Villains
It’s only unfortunate that two classic Hulk villains are confirmed to join the Captain America: Brave New World cast in their enhanced forms, but Hulk is nowhere to be found. The MCU has drawn criticism from comic book readers for undermining Hulk’s tragic backstory and dark character in favor of a more comedic presence. Such has been the case since his supporting act in Thor: Ragnarok or his way less angry Professor Hulk persona in Avengers: Endgame. While he faced off against Abomination in The Incredible Hulk, he needed to fight many more powerful foes from the comics.
A Hulk vs Red Hulk duel is bound to impress the character’s loyal fans about how personal their enmity can be. General Ross has not only harbored an extreme disdain toward Banner for his gamma-radiated alter-ego but also because of Banner’s romantic involvement with his daughter Betty. As for The Leader, the stage can be set for a brainy battle rather than a conventional brawny fistfight among monsters. The Leader is one of the smartest characters in Marvel comics and it would be exciting to see him target Banner’s weaknesses if Hulk ever appeared in Captain America: Brave New World.