Marvel Studios Unleashes Historic Villain for Hulk’s Phase 6 Return

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Marvel Studios made history by introducing a well-known Hulk villain as the hero prepares to return in Phase 6. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost from the start, though Ruffalo hasn’t always been the one playing the role. Despite being a long-time member of the Avengers, the Hulk hasn’t received as much focused attention as heroes like Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America.

Despite everything, the gamma-powered hero has still left his mark as part of the Marvel Studios universe. His return in Phase 6 with Marvel Zombies is especially noteworthy. The Disney+ series featured a unique moment: it was the first time two heroes, who are also rivals, faced off for a third time.

The show ends with Hulk making a grand return as the incredibly strong Infinity Hulk. He faces off against a massive army of zombie superheroes and villains, including a horrifying, flesh-eating version of Emil Blonsky, also known as Abomination.

For the third time in a Marvel movie, the hero and villain faced off, and this time, the incredibly powerful Infinity Hulk won. He defeated the main villain, who was an undead creature, with just one punch powered by an Infinity Stone.

Hulk and Abomination have battled each other more times on screen than any other hero-villain duo.

The first glimpse of another Hulk-level threat appeared in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk. In this early Marvel movie, Tim Roth played Emil Blonsky, who gained powers after receiving blood from Bruce Banner, turning him into the dangerous Abomination. The two then fought a destructive battle in Harlem, culminating in Banner nearly killing Blonsky with a large chain.

The Hulk and Abomination fought again in the 2022 series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the show, Hulk witnesses Abomination seemingly rescuing his cousin, Jennifer Walters, from Todd Phelps after Phelps transforms into a Hulk himself.

Bruce and Emil exchange a few blows, but then Jen suddenly acknowledges how ridiculous the show’s ending is. She actually steps out of her own series and into the Marvel Studios offices to confront someone known only as KEVIN.

What Other Hero/Villain Pairings Could Come for Hulk and Abomination’s MCU Record?

Many heroes and villains have fought multiple times, but no rivalry has reached three major battles—until now. The closest comparison to the record currently held by Hulk and Abomination is the ongoing conflict between Thor and Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Over the years, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston’s characters have clashed multiple times within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their first fight occurred in the original Thor movie, and they battled again in The Avengers in 2012. While Thor seemingly stabbed his brother in Thor: Love and Thunder, it turned out to be an illusion, so it wasn’t a real fight.

Iron Man and Thanos are another well-known hero-villain duo who have fought in multiple films, including both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Interestingly, the versions of Thanos appearing in each movie weren’t exactly the same.

Captain America frequently battles the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. Their conflicts are notable in both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and a dramatic scene near the end of Captain America: Civil War.

Fans can look forward to more exciting hero-versus-villain battles in future installments. Next year’s VisionQuest will feature a rematch between Vision (Paul Bettany) and Ultron (James Spader), marking their first confrontation since Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 and Secret Wars in 2027 might include several familiar battles between heroes and villains. Rumors suggest these movies will bring back many popular characters from previous films.

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2025-11-03 06:35