Summary
Throughout theHulk’s MCU story, there have been several deleted scenes that had the potential to change the franchise. Introduced as he was so early inthe MCU timeline, the Hulk has long been one of the franchise’s most prominent heroes. Hulk’s story throughout the MCU’s wider narrative has helped shaped the franchise, as he has served as a founding Avenger, a mentor to other heroes, and an important scientific mind.
Of the manymovies in the MCUthat Hulk has appeared in, many of them have had deleted scenes with potentially major implications. Had the scenes in question remained in their respective films, they could have significantly impacted the MCU’s overall story, altering canon or redefining specific relationships. With that in mind, here are 10 deleted Hulk scenes that could have changed the MCU.
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10Alternate Opening In The Arctic
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Multipleactors have played Hulk in live-action, but few have ever experienced as dark a moment as Edward Norton’s inThe Incredible Hulk’s alternate opening. The scene shows Bruce Banner heading to the Arctic in order to die by suicide, only for the Hulk to come out at the critical moment and prevent his death. The scene also saw the very brief appearance of Captain America frozen in the ice.
Had the scene stayed in the movie, it would have had obvious implications for the MCU. The momentary introduction of Captain America would likely have changed the nature of his discovery, but the scene also would have subtly altered Banner’s character.Showing the dark headspace he finds himself in after becoming the Hulk only adds depth to his character, making his eventual reconciliation of his two personas all the more triumphant.
9Creating A Makeshift Lab
Hulk is one of the strongest Avengers, but the heroic powerhouse isn’t the team’s only asset. Particularly after theMCU has introduced multiple Hulks, it seems that Bruce Banner is an equally powerful figure in his own right, and that would have been especially clear if one ofThe Incredible Hulk’s deleted scenes had been made canon. The scene shows Banner gathering various junk items during his time in the favela, and then using them to craft a makeshift lab.
The scene clearly demonstrates Bruce Banner’s scientific genius, as well as his adaptability. Though Banner has largely taken a back seat in terms of the MCU’s scientific developments,the scene shows that his ingenuity even when facing hardship rivals that of Tony Stark.The scene sets Banner up as one of the best scientific minds in the MCU, and if it had stayed in, he might have been a more direct rival to Stark’s claim for that title.
8Ross And Blonsky Conspiring
Emil Blonsky is undeniably the main antagonist ofThe Incredible Hulk, as his transformation into the Abomination sees him directly oppose the Hulk. However, it’s General Ross who spends most of the movie pulling Blonsky’s strings, and one deleted scene between the pair only cements Ross as the true villain. The scene simply shows a longer version of a discussion that remained in the finished film, but it sees Ross label Banner as “data”.
The scene itself is seemingly unremarkable, but Ross’ choice of words is particularly telling. When considered carefully, it outlines the way in which he sees Hulk not as a human being but as a weapon. This stance also subtly foreshadows Ross’ later role in passing the Sokovia Accords, which sees the heroes of the MCU forced to accept government oversight.Seeing Ross conspire with Blonsky so early on would have removed some of the moral ambiguity surrounding the General, cementing him as a villain from the start.
When it comes toscenes that define Hulk’s MCU story,Avengers: Age of Ultronisn’t necessarily the obvious choice to consider. However, the movie does feature a number of important pieces of character development for the Hulk, particularly where it concerns his relationship with Natasha Romanoff. One of their most intimate scenes was almost much longer, with the extended version seeing Black Widow suggesting the pair run away together.
The extended scene only makes minor changes to Hulk’s MCU story, butit completely redefines his relationship with Romanoff.Without it, it’s implied that their relationship stalled due to a mutual sense of responsibility, whereas the extended scene makes it more of a rejection from Banner. It also makes Black Widow seem less heroic and more selfish, undermining her own hero story as a result. Though both characters are likely better off that the scene isn’t canon, it would have changed their respective stories in a deceptively major way.
Though it’s not Hulk’s own movie,Thor: Ragnaroksaw some of the green behemoth’s best character development in the entire MCU. Shortly after reuniting with Hulk on Sakaar and fighting him in the Grandmaster’s arena, Thor begins arguing with his fellow Avenger. The deleted scene shows an extended altercation between the two, with the heroes hurling petty insults back and forth.
Though the scene carries an obvious comedic tone, it also would have added additional depth to the Hulk’s character had it remained in the movie. As well as referring to Thor as the “tiny Avenger”,Hulk demonstrates an understanding of concepts that were otherwise not established as part of his personality. Funny though it may be in nature, the deleted scene actually adds much more depth to Hulk as a character in his own right, better establishing the differences between Hulk and Banner.
5Travel To Asgard
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarokalso boasts another deleted scene that could have drastically changed the relationship between Thor and Banner, as well as added depth to Banner’s own story. The scene showed the two Avengers leaving Sakaar and heading to Asgard to face Hela, with Banner attempting to console Thor. Banner talks about his own father, and also gently asserts to Thor that he may not need Mjolnir as much as he believes he does.
The scene may not furtherRagnarok’s plot in any real way, but it does flesh out the two heroes’ relationship.Seeing Banner act as a friend to Thor would have brought the Asgardian closer to his Avengers teammates, rather than having him act somewhat independently from the team. It also added depth to Banner’s backstory, teasing the past that came before the events ofThe Incredible Hulk.
Hulk’s role inAvengers: Infinity Warwas, in the end, incredibly limited, but a deleted scene would have shown one of the character’s biggest moments. The deleted scene was part of the Battle of Wakanda, where Banner is inside the Hulkbuster armor and encouraging his green alter-ego to emerge. It showed an argument between the two that ended with Banner’s consciousness possessing Hulk’s physical attributes, marking the transformation that ultimately ended up occurring between the events ofInfinity WarandEndgame.
Infinity Waractually showing Banner’s transformation into Professor Hulk would have been a major development.It would have pre-emptively dispelled one of the biggest criticisms of the MCU’s handling of Hulk’s story, and it also would have provided a satisfying conclusion to Banner’s difficulties transforming into the Hulk throughoutInfinity War, making the scene’s removal seem a wasted opportunity.
An unfinished scene fromAvengers: Endgamesaw an extended interaction between Hulk and the Ancient One during the film’s time heist, and it would have had an effect on the Multiverse Saga that was ultimately to follow. The scene in question shows the Ancient One explaining the nature of the Time Stone and the effect of removing it from the timeline. To that end, the scene directly set up the branching timelines that shortly after became the beginning of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.
The scene itself clearly wasn’t important toEndgame’s plot, but it would have contextualized the MCU’s future.By more firmly establishing the risks and rewards of time travel in the MCU,Endgamecould have subtly teased its next major narrative arcwhile also offering some exposition. Though the scene was removed for the right reasons, it still could have changed how the MCU’s transition into its next phase was perceived by audiences.
2Tony Time Suit Prep
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Another deleted scene fromAvengers: Endgamesaw Tony Stark, Professor Hulk, and the surviving Avengers design the time suits that enabled their time heist. The movie’s time travel is ultimately what enabled the heroes to defeat Thanos, making it particularly important to the MCU’s overall story. As such, the sceneoutlining the dangers of time travel and the complex but necessary precautions would have better contextualized the perils of the Avengers’ time-hopping mission.
The scene itself would have, by the directors’ admission, also have altered how the MCU approached its time travel. The rules set out by the deleted scene were somewhat different from those in the finished movie, and therefore would have impacted not justEndgame’s plot, but the entire MCU. As such, had the scene stayed in, it would have had major implications for the franchise both in the Multiverse Saga and beyond.
1Hulk’s Post-Credits Scene
Avengers: Endgamealmost had a post-credits scene that showed Hulk engaging in heroics. Theunfinished Hulk sceneshows the hero rescuing people from a fire before receiving a phone call from Steve Rogers. The scene would have had obvious implications involving Steve, but it also would have created a completely different perception of bothEndgameand of the Avengers’ future in the MCU - which may partially explain why the still-unfinished scene was shown as a bonus extra in some of the movie’s June re-release viewings.
Without the scene,Endgame’s credits are a somber affair that cement the gravity of Iron Man’s sacrifice and the ending of the MCU’s Infinity Saga. Had it been included,Endgame’s ending would have seemed much more open, showing that the Avengers were alive and well and continued to operate alongside one another after Stark’s death. ShowingHulkengaging in heroics as the very last moment of the Infinity Saga would have had major implications for the Avengers heading into the Multiverse Saga had the scene remained in the finished film.
