All the Ways Captain America: Brave New World Connects to The Incredible Hulk

As a dedicated movie reviewer, I’ve had the chance to revisit the green giant himself in “The Incredible Hulk” – a film that, despite being an early addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), seems to have slipped somewhat under the radar. Released hot on the heels of the blockbuster success of “Iron Man,” this 2008 solo outing for the Hulk was intended as a cornerstone in the construction of the new MCU and a crucial stepping stone towards the eagerly anticipated Avengers film.

Initially, The Incredible Hulk served as both a reboot and a follow-up to Ang Lee’s 2005 film The Hulk, featuring an entirely different cast. This second version of the Hulk movie had a decent run at the box office. However, Universal Studios retained the distribution rights for standalone Hulk films, which prevented Marvel Studios from making a sequel. Instead, they replaced Edward Norton with Mark Ruffalo for future Avengers collaborations. In total, Ruffalo appeared in eight MCU movies.

Due to previous changes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredible Hulk’s presence has largely been overlooked – until the newest release, Captain America: Brave New World. Surprisingly, this film serves as a direct continuation of the 17-year-old movie. The primary villain in Brave New World is Samuel Sterns, a character who only made a brief appearance in The Incredible Hulk. Those who haven’t seen the Edward Norton version or watched it so long ago they can’t recall the storyline might find themselves perplexed about Sterns’ background, his animosity towards MCU character Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and why Liv Tyler appears at the film’s end.

In this article, we’ll delve into essential information regarding “The Incredible Hulk” and its ties to the fourth Captain America movie.

This post will provide you with crucial facts about “The Incredible Hulk” and its links to the fourth Captain America film.

What happens in The Incredible Hulk

Dr. Bruce Banner (played by Norton), aided by his romantic partner, scientist Dr. Betty Ross (portrayed by Liv Tyler), undergoes an experiment utilizing gamma radiation. The process goes wrong, transforming Bruce into a massive, enraged, green creature whenever he’s agitated. Betty’s father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt), plans to duplicate the technology for military purposes, causing Bruce to flee.

Bruce takes up meditation as a means to tame the beast lurking inside him and collaborate with an enigmatic figure named “Mr. Blue” online to develop a remedy. General Ross enlists the services of a soldier called Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who is tasked with tracking down Bruce. To boost Blonsky’s abilities for this pursuit, Ross administers a variant of the super-soldier serum to him.

In a turn of events, Bruce reconnects with Betty to gather information on the initial study, believing it might aid in finding a cure. Subsequently, General Ross and Blonsky ambush Bruce on Betty’s campus. As the attack ensues, Bruce transforms into The Hulk to protect Betty from her mysterious father, who has bizarrely given orders for soldiers to fire towards her. Luckily, Bruce and Betty manage to evade their pursuers. In a surprising twist, it is revealed that The Hulk’s excitement level remains unchanged in any situation.

In my own words, I’d express it as:

I journeyed to the bustling New York City, eagerly anticipating a meeting with Dr. Samuel Sterns, alias Mr. Blue. However, my expectations were shattered when this man revealed his true, psychotic self. He exploited gamma radiation to transform Blonsky into The Abomination – an enraged, monstrous behemoth.

A pivotal twist unfolded as Dr. Sterns inadvertently received a dose of my beloved Bruce’s blood. The Abomination wreaked havoc through Harlem, and it was only the Hulk – transformed once again by Bruce – who managed to quell the chaos.

Feeling defeated, Bruce retreated into hiding yet again. My dearest Betty vowed never to find forgiveness for her father’s heinous actions against Bruce.

After ignoring it for years, the MCU started referencing The Incredible Hulk again

The character of The Incredible Hulk was mostly phased out from the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, primarily due to the choice to replace Bruce Banner. Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bruce, for example, never referenced the events of that movie or his romantic interest, Betty, in subsequent films.

For quite some time, Hurt, portraying General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, was the sole actor from The Incredible Hulk to feature in other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies. An interesting twist occurred when he transformed into an adversary for Captain America and his associates during Captain America: Civil War. Remarkably, the characters played by Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk) and Hurt (Thaddeus Ross) never engaged in any discussions about their past in any of the Avengers films.

In a fresh twist for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the character Shang-Chi brought back The Abomination, an adversary of The Incredible Hulk. Moreover, the Disney+ series She-Hulk often alludes to the occurrences in The Incredible Hulk. This connection paves the way for other characters from that movie to potentially reappear in Captain America: Brave New World.

Dr. Samuel Sterns shows up as the villain in Captain America: Brave New World

In the opening scenes of “Brave New World,” it’s revealed that General Ross ascended to the presidency of the United States. In his new role, President Ross aims to persuade several nations to ratify a treaty, dividing the newly-discovered element called Adamantium – a material Marvel devotees might recall as the substance comprising Wolverine’s bones and claws. However, there’s someone who seeks to sabotage the agreement and tarnish the president’s reputation. (Following Hurt’s passing in 2022, Harrison Ford assumed the character role.)

Contrary to how Giancarlo Esposito’s character Sidewinder is presented in Brave New World trailers as the main antagonist, it is actually Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns from The Incredible Hulk who orchestrates the major plot twists. In a lengthy explanation to Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and Falcon (Danny Ramirez), Sterns reveals that he was accidentally exposed to Bruce Banner’s blood in The Incredible Hulk, which resulted in his brain expanding significantly. He now lives with an altered, oversized head and green skin but has the unique ability to calculate the likelihood of anything.

In the film, it’s revealed that Ross, who has been vocalizing his transformation into a better person after his past actions like bombing college campuses, has actually been holding Stern captive for 17 years. He uses Stern as a personal scientist to create military weapons. Moreover, Ross makes Stern develop a medication to manage his life-threatening heart condition. However, without Ross’ knowledge, Stern laced the medicine with gamma radiation. Throughout the movie, Stern attempts to provoke Ross into turning into the Hulk during live television broadcasts.

In my critique, I must admit that Stern’s talent for statistical prediction felt somewhat underwhelming, bordering on anticlimactic. There were moments when an event he predicted to have a 20% or lower chance of happening actually occurred, which left me questioning whether he truly grasps the nuances of probability. By the film’s end, Stern found himself in handcuffs, a stark reminder that even the most precise calculations can sometimes be off the mark.

Liv Tyler makes a cameo as Betty in Captain America: Brave New World

During the film, President Ross often expresses regret over his daughter Betty’s unforgiveness towards him for pursuing Bruce Banner as if he were a criminal, and it can be inferred that her anger was also fueled by his attempt to build a legion of Hulks.

As Ross transforms into the Red Hulk, Captain America manages to calm him by bringing up Ross’s affection for Betty. Later, Ross surrenders and is incarcerated at The Raft, a high-security prison floating on water. In the movie’s concluding moments, Betty, portrayed by Liv Tyler, visits her father, pardoning him for all his actions.

Time alone will reveal if this situation could lead to a reunion between Betty and Bruce Banner.

Read More

• Cookie Run: Kingdom Pure Vanilla Cookie (Compassionate) Guide: How to unlock, Best Toppings, and more
• Reverse 1999 Willow Build Guide: Best Team, Psychubes, and more
• Cookie Run: Kingdom Black Sapphire Cookie Guide: How to unlock, Best Toppings, and more
• Slime Castle redeem codes and how to use them (September 2024)
• Cookie Run: Kingdom Candy Apple Cookie Guide: How to unlock, Best Toppings, and more
• Limbus Company Gift Fusion Guide — All EGO Fusion Gifts
• MAFS Star’s Secret Split
• The Handmaid’s Tale star to reprise role in spin-off series
• Monster Hunter Wilds director thinks the weapon balance is much closer this time: “They’re all hopefully nearly as viable as each other,” but he’s “confident, not cocky”
• All Totem Fragment Locations In Shatterscarp In Avowed

2025-02-14 12:15