The fractured continuum of rights in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has, over time, allowed all of the studio’s far flung children to eventually return home. One of the last missing pieces to the MCU collection on Disney+ has been 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which was at the time produced and owned by Universal. Well enough time has passed that while we may still be waiting for the upcoming Marvel movies to return to theaters, we can revisit Edward Norton’s time as Bruce Banner real soon.
Disney made the announcement through its Twitter, with a simple graphic that revealed June 16th as the date for fans to look out for. Much like the announcement of several Spider-Man movies going to the platform, it was a quick info dump that is intended to get the crowd excited to return to an old favorite. Though there is another reason that this addition to the MCU’s digital library should be celebrated.
As we’ve seen with the cast for Captain America: Brave New World, as well as through other Marvel Studios projects in recent past, characters from director Louis Leterrier’s solo entry into the Marvel canon have slowly been returning to the fold. Starting with the late William Hurt’s General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: Civil War, MCU projects have integrated pretty huge figures from what seemed to be a movie destined to be retconned.
What we know about Captain America 4 tells us that Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross and Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns/The Leader are both on deck for resurfacing as well. As the loyal Marvel fanbase is going to want to go back to The Incredible Hulk during any marathons for prep, this long held gap being filled is fantastic news.
As is the fact that with one Disney+ subscription, Brave New World prep is easier than ever. Since the original series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is also available on that platform, and is just as vital to the road ahead, being able to get ready for the future is now easier than ever.
There are still some obvious gaps in the Disney+ MCU collection, particularly where the Spider-Man franchise is concerned. Just like The Incredible Hulk, the fact that another studio distributed this title is more than likely the holdup that’s held movies like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse from making things complete.
As we’ve seen here, time apparently heals all wounds, or at least the ones tied to contractual obligations. The waiting game may be far from over, but it's incredible to see this big green piece of the puzzle fall back into place.
Per the gigantic and recent Disney release date reshuffle, you’re going to have to wait a little longer to see Captain America: Brave New World. Anthony Mackie’s cinematic debut as the new Cap will now be opening on July 26th, 2024; with Deadpool 3 picking up the slack in its new May 3, 2024 debut. Meanwhile, you can enjoy The Incredible Hulk on Disney+, starting June 16th.
