Summary
The Incredible Hulk/ Bruce Banner is still an important member of the MCU, but Marvel Studios has a problem it needs to address when he next appears. Banner learned how to control his Hulk ability in Avengers: Endgame and is now able to keep his cool while in Hulk form. This allowed him to be a valuable teacher for his cousin, Jennifer Walters, when she turned into a Hulk in She-Hulk. However, She-Hulk ended with a surprising revelation from Mark Ruffalo’s Banner when he introduced his son, Skaar.
Audiences who have read the comics already know who Skaar is, but many people were not aware that Hulk had a son, let alone somebody to have a son with. The character does have a history that could be explained in the MCU, but casual viewers will need a recap on what happened leading up to Banner introducing his son. While Skaar’s introduction made for a shocking twist, Marvel might have a problem explaining Skaar’s origins before Hulk’s next appearance.
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Hulk’s Son Is A Big Problem For The MCU
Hulk introduced Skaar at the family BBQ during the finale of She-Hulk. During the series, Hulk took a long visit to Sakaar, the planet he lived on in Thor: Ragnarok. When he came back, he had a son that viewers never knew about, but comic book readers may recognize. Skaar has an intriguing storyline in the comics involving his father, which could be a problem for the MCU if they go in a different direction.
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In the comics, Skaar was born on Sakaar and is the offspring of Hulk and Caiera the Oldstrong. Skaar emerged from a cocoon, already at the age of a human boy, and developed a hatred toward the Hulk once he learned he had abandoned him. It becomes his life goal to kill his father, but only while Banner is in his Hulk form. This is a darker storyline, especially for the MCU, but it could make for a fascinating solo story for Ruffalo’s Hulk. If the MCU ignores this storyline, it could lead to trouble as audiences want more impactful stories involving the Hulk.
How Marvel Can Explain Skaar’s Existence To Marvel Movie Fans
The other issue that Hulk’s son presents is that the MCU will have to explain how he got here at some point. They cannot introduce this shocking revelation as a joke and then never address it. Since Hulk was dragged away from Sakaar by Thor in Ragnarok, it could make sense that Hulk didn’t know about his son being born yet. However, Hulk would have had some hesitation about leaving Sakaar if whoever he had Skaar with was still there.
The MCU needs to explain how Skaar got here before Hulk’s next appearance and find a way to make it understandable for casual viewers, even if it diverges from the source material. Still, this problem does create opportunity as Skaar’s arrival could lead to Hulk‘s greatest story yet. Many are waiting for Hulk to go back to his brutal, destructive form, and this could be a way to get him back into the fight.
Key Release Dates
The Marvels
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Captain America: Brave New World
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Blade (2025)
Marvel’s Fantastic Four
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Avengers: Secret Wars
Marvel has some explaining to do with the Hulk. Read More