A newly-discovered Easter Egg in Thor: Ragnarok ties Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk to the version seen in The Incredible Hulk.
In The Incredible Hulk, Edward Norton’s Green Goliath got into a massive clash in the heart of Harlem in order to stop the Abomination from going on an unstoppable rampage across New York City. While the movie isn’t referenced as much as other early Marvel Cinematic Universe films, it’s still very much canon, with Mark Ruffalo’s version being the same character.
One eagle-eyed fan noticed that there’s a small visual continuity on the Hulk’s CGI model in Thor: Ragnarok that actually pays subtle homage to the character’s sole solo outing. (Since Universal own the distribution rights to the Incredible Hulk film franchise, but not the character, he’s free to show up everywhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but in his own standalone films — although the She-Hulk show on Disney Plus suggests that Disney may just get around this.) At the end of The Incredible Hulk, the big guy gets stabbed in the chest, leaving a scar. Thor: Ragnarok actually reveals that it’s still there during the big battle in Asgard. Check it out below:
In Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk has a round scar on his chest. This is a continuity callback to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton. from marvelstudios
Aside from this visual Easter Egg, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner alludes to The Incredible Hulk in The Avengers by mentioning that he nearly “broke Harlem” the last time he Hulked out in public. Spider-Man: Far From Home has miniaturized versions of the sonic weapons that were used to suppress the Hulk in a conflict with the military, and Martin Starr’s Mr. Harrington technically made his first appearance in that film. And, of course, William Hurt reprised his role as General Ross in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. So all that, plus the Thor: Ragnarok Easter Egg shown above, indicate that The Incredible Hulk is still canon.
Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk was last seen in Avengers: Endgame. Here is the official synopsis for the movie:
The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios’ grand conclusion to twenty-two films, Avengers: Endgame.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin.
Avengers: Endgame is now available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
Source: Reddit
