Summary
WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Captain America: Brave New WorldA very different kind ofCaptain Americamovie is punching its way into theaters, withCaptain America: Brave New Worldbeing the first time Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson gets to lead a movie of his own. After the first three solo movies featured Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers as the star-spangled hero, it’s over to Mackie to take the legacy of Cap into a new era withCaptain America: Brave New World.
Whereas the upcomingThunderbolts*feels like aCaptain AmericaandBlack Widowhybrid,Brave New WorldisCaptain AmericameetsThe Incredible Hulk. While Louis Leterrier’sThe Incredible Hulkhas the honor of being the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s second movie, it’s an often forgotten black sheep of the family. Plans for a sequel fell through, but for the time being,Brave New Worldis the closest anyone is getting toThe Incredible Hulk 2.
Captain America: Brave New World Is Missing Amadeus Cho
DespiteBrave New World’s marketing spoiling the twist that Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross would becomeRed Hulk, it wasn’t exactly a surprise for those up on their comics. There’s also the return of Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, who got a villainous post-credit tease at the end ofThe Incredible Hulkand finally gets to become the Leader. But aside from a last-minute cameo featuring Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross and some archive footage of Hulk and Abomination tearing through Harlem, the clue is in the name that it’s aCaptain Americamovie.
Even though there is no shortage of Hulks or Hulk-a-likes in the MCU,Brave New Worldis a Hulk-lite movie. There’s no sign of Tatiana Maslany following her introduction as the titular Jennifer Walters inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, nor does Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner stop by to give Wilson some advice on how to deal with rampaging Hulks. As forTim Roth’s Emil Blonsky/Abomination, he’s presumably still hiding out with Benedict Wong’s Wong at Kamar-Taj. The pieces are all there for the various Gamma-blasted heroes and villains to come together, butBrave New Worldstops short of making it happen or even cueing it up.
Frustratingly, there are reports thatBrave New Worldcut one more member of the family. Like the MCU has introduced replacements for legacy heroes including Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart (Iron Man), Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova (Black Widow), Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), and even Wilson’s Cap, there are questions about who could take over from Ruffalo’s Hulk. Unlike many of the above being out of action, Bruce Banner still has an important role to play and is expected to be a major part of theupcomingAvengers: Doomsday/Secret Wars. Still, there are questions about where Amadeus Cho is.
If that name rings a bell, it’s becauseYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manrecently introduced Amadeus Choto the MCU-adjacent cartoon. More than just speciation about where Cho could’ve fit intoBrave New World, several sources claim he was cut from its runtime. It’s also alleged that Seth Rollins’ cut Serpent Society member and Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback were left on the cutting room floor. There’s no word on how Cho would’ve fitted into things, but given his genius background, it’s not too much of a reach to guess he was the person who told William Mark McCullough’s Dennis Dunphy that Sterns had been dosing President Ross with Gamma radiation. It was also widely reported thatGhostbusters’ Logan Kim had landed the part, with it looking like he was discarded during test screenings.
Introduced in 2005’sAmazing Fantasy Vol. 2#15, Amadeus Cho goes by the nickname of “The Totally Awesome Hulk”. Cho gains his Hulk powers when he absorbs Hulk’s gamma radiation to stop a nuclear meltdown. Unlike Banner, Cho saw his Hulk persona as a gift rather than a burden. Then again, he was once overwhelmed by his alter ego and eventually became known as Brawn when he regained control. He’s ranked as the seventh smartest person in the Marvel Universe, and while that’s just a bit of a joke, his intelligence is likely only beaten by the likes of Reed Richards and Hank Pym. Given Cho’s prominence in theWorld War Hulkminiseries, adding him toBrave New Worldwould’ve neatly teased the saga.
It’s Time For A World War Hulk Movie
Even though some think it’simpossible for the MCU to fix the Incredible Hulk, the long-rumoredWorld War Hulkmovie could go some way in redeeming the characters. Elements of it feel like they were already fed into the MCU when an armored Hulk popped up inThor: Ragnarokas a homage to thePlanet Hulkcomic, but in terms of fans getting a proper sequel toThe Incredible Hulk,World War Hulkcan do it all. As well as giving Ruffalo the standalone he deserves, it would bringing together the various threads of Hulks scattered through the franchise and even bring in some new players.
More than just fans keeping their fingers crossed for a return to Sakaar for a faithful adaptation of the 2007 comic miniseries, there’s been plenty of chatter thatMad Max’sGeorge Miller will helm aWorld War Hulkmovie. The MCU is known for its loose adaptations of the source material, and instead of the death of Hulk’s wife triggering his World Breaker persona, the death of his son who was introduced inShe-Hulkcould be the catalyst. There’s also the fact that Amadeus teams up with Hercules inWorld War Hulk, which could bring things back toThor: Love and Thunder’s cliffhanger tease of Brett Goldstein’s famed Olympian. Unfortunately, cutting Cho and a distinct lack of Ruffalo inBrave New Worldseemingly puts the MCU one step back from aWorld War Hulkmovie.
Universal still owning the rights to the Hulk means a full-blown standalone still can’t happen, but that actually works inWorld War Hulk’s favor thanks to it being an ensemble. The comic followed the Illuminati banishing Hulk to the planet Sakaar, and with the team of brilliant minds already being introduced (and quickly) dispatched duringDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, audiences know at least some universes have the Illuminati. Ruffalo himself has responded toShe-Hulkteasing a potentialWorld War Hulkstory and toldVariety:
“I do think that the trip to Sakaar is a good place to start and what that means to the idea of what the fans have been asking for — this idea of Planet Hulk or World War Hulk or just the journey that Banner and Hulk have to make to come to peace with each other. That’s really interesting to me, and I do feel like there is some interest in exploring that down the line.”
Others have suggestedMiller for anImmortal Hulkadaptation, while he’s also been mentioned to take over from Taika Waititi forThor 5. Miller is no stranger to massive set pieces, while bringing him over to the MCU with something likeWorld War Hulkcan redeem the crying shame that he never got to complete his vision forJustice League: Mortal. It seems inevitable that something will happen next with the Incredible Hulk and his ever-growing family, while some claim aWorld War Hulks(yes, Hulk) adaptation of the 2010 comic is making its way into live-action. Either way, the Green Meanie is well overdue for his time to shine and a chance to show what Hulk can really do in the MCU.
