One of the MCU‘s best Avengers lines will finally have meaning again after 14 years. While big action set pieces and plot twists are often associated with Marvel Studios’ franchise, at its core are its characters and their relationship with each other. Developing its players throughout a long period of time makes it easier for viewers to get invested in them, especially if their personal stories have ties to whatever is happening in the bigger universe. With its characters being the priority of their storytelling, interactions and dialogue are extremely important, as they effectively establish their personalities and principles.
Throughout its history, the MCU has all kinds of memorable quotes. Quippy one-liners and sarcastic comebacks are the norm for Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and even Star-Lord, while motivational pep talks are Captain America and Black Panther’s fortes. Besides those, there have also been a smattering of lines that have simply seeped into the cultural zeitgeist, including Vision’s “What is grief, if not love persevering” in WandaVision and Thanos’ “The hardest choices require the strongest wills” in Avengers: Infinity War. That said, one of the best lines in the MCU that, admittedly, has been overlooked in the past decade and a half comes from Bruce Banner in The Avengers: “That’s my secret Cap, I’m always angry.”
Admittedly, it isn’t immediately striking as a line, but that’s what makes it all the more effective. Banner says this after he joins the Battle of New York late and meets up with Captain America. As he gets ready to suit up, Steve Rogers reminds him that it’s a good time to smash, motivating him to transform into the Hulk. Coupled with the moment, it marks the most exciting aspect of The Avengers‘ final action set piece. Unfortunately, because of how the Hulk has been utilized in the MCU, the quote hasn’t been relevant in a while.
Unlike his fellow inaugural MCU heroes, Banner and the Hulk haven’t had a clear arc, primarily because there has been a lack of standalone adventures for him. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America got their sub-franchises, while Black Widow and Hawkeye had their respective headliners at a time when the MCU’s identity was already firmly established. Amid all this, Hulk’s only solo effort remains Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk in 2008, which still had Edward Norton playing the raging green monster. Since then, Banner’s story has played out through ensemble movies, or in projects where he’s deemed a supporting player, severely limiting what Marvel Studios can do with him.
While there’s still no word about any new solo project for Mark Ruffalo’s Avenger, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is about to bring back a genuinely angry Hulk after sidelining him for years now. As seen in the marketing footage for the upcoming Marvel Studios and Sony collaboration project, Savage Hulk is set to make a comeback in the anticipated film. Specific plot details are still scant in terms of understanding how he loses control after seemingly perfecting the approach in keeping the green rage monster in check. There are theories that he might have been mind-controlled, causing the rampage. Regardless, this is an exciting time in the character’s storyline. For those who miss this more brutal version, this is a nifty way for him to return, especially as it paves the way for a fight sequence between Savage Hulk and Spider-Man.
The complicated character rights to the Hulk have hampered Marvel Studios in its efforts to develop the character. Ruffalo has been vocal about wanting to do a solo project for the character, but despite that and the clamor of fans, nothing has come out of it thus far. In an ideal world, the MCU would have had a proper Hulk trilogy, where he is at the center of the storytelling, instead of being a supporting player in other heroes’ adventures. Before the boom of the superhero movie genre, Banner and his monster counterpart were among the most popular Marvel characters.
Unfortunately, the MCU hasn’t been able to fully capitalize on that. The good news is that Marvel Studios can still make it their priority to more consistently develop Hulk moving forward. Even without his own sub-franchise, it can be done with a clear plan for his character development, as opposed to leaving his project-to-project fate in the hands of different writers and directors. That way, the Hulk can still have a cohesive storyline.
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