Hulk Is Still The Avengers 5's Best Villain Idea

The Incredible Hulk is still the perfect villain for The Avengers 5. Despite Phase Four apparently resolving Bruce Banner's internal conflict with his more savage Hulk alter-ego, the idea of him having a happy ending that doesn't explore his greatest fear fully would be a betrayal of the character's arc.

Throughout the MCU, each of the original Avengers was forced to face up to their greatest fears: for Tony Stark that was the idea that he wouldn't be enough to save everyone, for Captain America it was that he'd fail in his duty, for Thor it was his inherent unworthiness, for Black Widow it was that she couldn't escape her past and for Hawkeye, it was the loss of his family (and his control). Only Bruce Banner has never had to fully face up to the idea of losing control completely, with Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok merely hinting at the full potential of that nightmare. In both cases, Banner was presented with his fear that Hulk would take over and there would be none of Banner's humanity left to balance it and the best way to pay that off is to revisit the original plan for The Avengers.

In the earliest drafts of Joss Whedon's ensemble, Hulk would have been the villain, with the heroes brought together to take him down. That would presumably have set Banner on the same path as he ended up going on in the MCU, resulting in the creation of Professor Hulk, an apparent balance between Banner and Hulk. But that balance is not a true balance, Hulk is still the victim of the dynamic, and wrapping up the arc in the way it's been done is not as satisfying as the MCU seems to be suggesting it is. Far better would be having Hulk turn savage again to become the villain of Avengers 5.

Crucially, Avengers: Age Of Ultron's use of Scarlet Witch's visions as a mirror for each of the Avengers' greatest fears was an inspired move and set the course for the rest of the Infinity Saga, which each character ending up exactly where Wanda predicted. Hulk's vision was not shown explicitly, because Hulk losing control (and having to be contained by the Hulkbuster) was Banner's greatest fear embodied. But, importantly, Hulk's greatest fear is what's important here and not Banner's, because it's Hulk Wanda's visions affect. His greatest fear is Banner taking control - essentially what happens with the so-called Professor Hulk, given Banner's personality still takes precedence - which is proven when Iron Man accidentally triggers an even more angry response by mentioning Banner's name during his rampage.

Professor Hulk is not a true conclusion to Hulk's MCU arc, because it still requires him to give up everything he is for the sake of Banner. Yes, Banner gets to look like Hulk and has the advantage of his physical improvements, but Hulk established in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War that his desire was free will not merely to be allowed to look right. The Smart Hulk "compromise" is a lie of balance that victimized Hulk and he should be given an opportunity to fight back to prove as much. The best way to do that is to revive the idea of him losing control and becoming the villain - or at least a villain - of The Avengers 5. It would also be a change of pace for the new hero ensemble to face-off against a known enemy with more personal stakes rather than just another intergalactic threat.

As long as General Thunderbolt Ross is still active in the MCU and the Abomination is lying low in the background, Hulk's backstory still has insistent pull. So far, there hasn't been sufficient exploration into the fallout from Hulk's murderous years as a champion on Sakaar, nor a payoff to Ross' all-encompassing desire to take Hulk down and prove his suspicions about the threat he poses to be correct. Having Ross lose himself to that obsession and perhaps become Red Hulk would be the perfect set-up to then bring back Savage Hulk for a more satisfying, complex conclusion to Banner's MCU arc. That would then allow Hulk and Banner to come to a true balance where neither of them loses out, rather than Banner simply sciencing himself a solution that gives him the advantages of Hulk but his alter-ego none of the control. At least then Avengers 5 could give Banner something to do when it looks otherwise like his arc is done with in any other meaningful way.

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