I am a huge fan of the Incredible Hulk. I even watched the TV show as a kid. I still believe that Hulk is one of the most enjoyable Marvel characters. World War Hulk (IMHO) is among the top 5 story arcs in Marvel history. That being said, the MCU screwed Hulk up by nerfing him. Basically, Marvel turned the Hulk into a level boss that allowed other characters to elevate to the next level of the story. Consider who has beaten Hulk in the MCU:
- Thor (realizing his powers in Ragnarock)
- Iron Man (ascending to over powered with the Hulk buster armor and all that followed it)
- Thanos (this was basically his introduction)
- The Ancient One (established her OPness and thus Strange’s own)
In truth Hulk was beaten so often that he eventually decided he was out. That Thanos fight really was the moment dude was like, “nope. you guys nerfed me.” In fact they had to ‘yada’ over the 5 year stretch where Banner brought him back. I wish we could have seen that story. I wish we could see any new story that helps reset the Hulk mythos, but all we have is Hulk the punching bag and the resulting destruction to the character’s arc.
In truth we should’ve been able to see the absolute rage that compels the Hulk to destruction. The Thor and Iron Man fight should’ve resulted in even more destruction and Tony’s victory should’ve come at a higher cost–one that taxed him beyond his limits (and required a gang of suits) as opposed to him flying away at every punch.
We don’t see the anger bring the escalation of size and strength, and that is what I believe is missing. We don’t fear Hulk and we should.