Hulk is seemingly about to find a second wind in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thor: Ragnarok sure makes it seem like Bruce Banner’s alter ego is going to return to his roots and start beating the snot out of people alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Of course, that doesn’t come to fruition because Thanos flips the script at the start of Avengers: Infinity War and embarrasses the Hulk so bad that he doesn’t want to do what he does best anymore. Without any other choice, Banner must merge his personality with the Hulk’s, creating the Smart Hulk, a being that prefers to hang out in a lab rather than a battlefield. Fortunately, it sounds like there’s some savagery in the hero’s future.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will provide the Hulk with another supporting part, but it sounds like he’s not going to play second fiddle to the titular hero, taking on a villainous role that sees him let loose for the first time in years. It’s great that the powers that be at Marvel Studios are finally getting it together because the fans have been standing on business for years. In fact, an unofficial Hulk film is making the rounds again and showing how easy it is to embrace one crucial aspect of the character.
Project Gamma Doesn’t Think Hulk Is a Joke
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David Sarrio’s short film Project Gamma starts like almost every other Hulk adaptation. While researching gamma radiation for the military to create super soldiers, Bruce Banner is exposed to the energy and turns into a dangerous creature. He goes on the run afterward, wanting to keep the project’s results from Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, but he fails in his mission. For once, Ross gets his hands on Banner and turns him over to a team of scientists who probe his brain with a virtual reality that makes him believe his legs are injured, forcing him to stay in place. But Ross’ lackeys can only keep their captive in a cage for so long.
After some coffee spills on the computer that keeps the virtual reality up and running, cracks start to show, allowing Banner to find his footing. He begins hearing a voice that wants to get in on the action, and rather than suppressing it, he gives in to its demands and wakes it up. In the real world, Banner begins to transform, and it doesn’t look pretty. Becoming the Hulk puts a tremendous strain on the scientist’s body, so much so that it almost looks like he’s going to explode before finishing the transformation. That doesn’t happen, though, and the beast escapes his prison and sets his sights on the danger that awaits him outside. It’s a familiar sight, but the road to get there should serve as a blueprint for the MCU moving forward.
What the MCU Can Learn From Project Gamma
Taking notes from a fan film, let alone one that came out twenty years ago, probably doesn’t sound enticing to Kevin Feige and Co. However, the positive reception to the project all these years later proves that fans know what they want when it comes to the Jade Giant. Rather than it being easy for Banner to become the Hulk and him making a joke out of the situation, they want to see the hero struggle to turn into a being with the potential to tear the world apart. It shouldn’t be all fun and games, and the MCU has a golden oppurtunity to prove that it understands that sentiment come next year.
If the Savage Hulk is really on the way, Brand New Day should go out of its way to explain that the disappearance of Smart Hulk is putting Banner in a bad spot. That way, it won’t come out of left field when he transforms and feels a significant amount of pain. It could also be that being the Smart Hulk for so many years undid all the work Banner did to control his anger. Without a healthy coping mechanism, the next time he truly loses his cool, he unlocks a new form that pushes his body to its limits. Whatever the explanation is, the MCU can’t go back to business as usual with the Hulk because fans are getting a taste of what’s possible, and they like it more than what they’ve been getting.
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