The new Avengers team will need to decide on a new leader in 2026 Avengers: Judgment Dayand Bruce Banner’s Hulk could be the perfect choice to guide the MCU’s team of superheroes. The Avengers team was central to the MCU during the Infinity Saga, but has been absent since the intense Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame. Upcoming Marvel Studios films Avengers: Judgment Day will see the starting team come together again, albeit with a new formation, and the question of who will lead the team has been a hot topic of discussion.
Trailers for Captain America: Brave New World revealed that Sam Wilson’s Captain America will be asked to rebuild the Avengers, implying that he could also lead the team. However, Doubts have been cast on the new Captain America’s ability as a leader, although there are several other top candidates to take on this coveted role. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, aka Hulk, could be the perfect choice to become the new leader of the Avengers in the MCU, should he be confirmed to return in Avengers: Judgment Day.
10
The MCU’s Hulk story was criminally ignored
The Hulk hasn’t been seen since 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
It’s been a major point of contention that the Hulk, one of Marvel Comics’ most regular and popular characters, has been largely ignored in recent MCU adventures. Film rights disputes between Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures mean that Bruce Banner will not be able to appear in another solo film in the MCU. he’s seen his fair share of action in the Infinity Saga crossover events. This has not been the case in the Multiverse Saga, as the Hulk has not been seen since 2022 She-Hulk: Lawyer.
The Hulk has been the victim of “nerfing” in the MCU, which means a character becomes needlessly weakened over time. Unfortunately, this nerf has made the Hulk less of a loose cannon and therefore a less central character in the MCU. In Avengers: Judgment Day, Mark Ruffalo deserves a more substantial role as Bruce Banner, and this could be achieved by making him the new leader of the Avengers. This would put the Hulk at the center of the action in the battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, which is very exciting.
9
Bruce Banner has already proven himself to be a strong mentor
Smart Hulk Trained Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk: Lawyer
The leader of the Avengers must be able to help train and manage a growing and rising team of heroes, and Bruce Banner has already proven that he is capable of fulfilling this mentor role. Most notably, She-Hulk: Lawyer saw Banner take his cousin, Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters, under his wing very quickly after realizing she had become She-Hulk. He was prepared to sacrifice years of his own time to help her gain control of her abilities, which would prove to be an invaluable mindset. when assembling the new Avengers team.
While there will certainly be a lot of familiar faces on the new Avengers team, the group will also consist of a number of new superheroes in the MCU. This could include Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight, and others, many of whom are still coming to terms with their superpowers and learning to control their new gifts. Bruce Banner can encourage these new heroes through this process, making him a commanding yet caring and supportive leader..
8
The Multiverse saga has already made the Hulk a key figure
Mark Ruffalo appeared in two projects in the Multiverse saga
Despite making only two brief appearances in the Multiverse Saga, Bruce Banner was considered a key figure in this wild chapter of the MCU. His appearance in hologram form in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ the mid-credits scene saw him share knowledge with Shang-Chi, Katy, Wong and Captain Marvel while investigating the mysterious Ten Rings lighthouse. This confirms he is one of the core members of the MCU’s superhero community and is trusted by the likes of Captain Marvel and the Sorcerer Suprememaking his leadership role a natural next step.
She-Hulk: Lawyer it was no different. Bruce Banner helped guide Jennifer Walters through her first obstacles after becoming She-Hulkwhich allowed her to return to Los Angeles and resume her work as a lawyer. Although he was absent for most of the Phase 4 series, his shocking return alongside his Sakaaran son, Skaar, brought him back to Earth and established a new storyline for him as a father. This could mean he would become a guiding force and father figure among the Avengers, perhaps even recruiting his own son to the team.
7
Bruce Banner has brains and brawn
Avengers: Endgame introduced built-in Smart Hulk
Any good Avengers leader needs to be intelligent, tactically minded, and physically powerful, and Bruce Banner’s Hulk has all of these qualities in spades. Banner is one of the smartest people on the planet. This has been proven time and time again: he was brought in to investigate the Tesseract in The Avengershe helped create the artificial intelligence Ultron and finished building the Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultronhe discovered how to pilot an alien ship in Thor: Ragnarok and he helped Shuri abandon the Mind Stone from Vision’s head in Avengers: Infinity War.
In addition to being extremely intelligent, the Hulk is also known as the Strongest Avenger, given his immense power as an almost unparalleled being composed solely of muscle. The Hulk’s enormous power level would make him a formidable leader of the Avengers, especially following the lead of super soldier Steve Rogers’ Captain America.. He would be able to physically protect his team and at the same time use his intelligence and tactical mind to come up with an intelligent and well thought out plan to stop any villain, which will come in handy in the fight against the equally intelligent Doctor Doom.
6
The MCU’s Original Avengers Roster Is Smaller Than Ever
Only three original Avengers are still in the MCU
It would make sense for the leader of the new Avengers team to be one of the original members of the MCU’s Phase 1 group, but that group has been cut in half in the years since their debut. Originally made up of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Hulk, only three members of the original Avengers team are currently alive in the MCU. It’s unlikely that Thor, rarely on Earth, would lead the Avengers, while Hawkeye has always tried to retire from his superhero career.which leaves Bruce Banner’s Hulk as the only candidate for leader of the Avengers.
Original Avenger |
Actor |
Debut film |
---|---|---|
Tony Stark’s Iron Man |
Robert Downey Jr. |
Iron Man (2008) |
Bruce Banner’s Hulk |
Marcos Ruffalo |
The Incredible Hulk (2008) |
Black Widow by Natasha Romanoff |
Scarlett Johansson |
Iron Man 2 (2010) |
Thor Odinson |
Chris Hemsworth |
Thor (2011) |
Hawkeye by Clint Barton |
Jeremy Renner |
Thor (2011) |
Captain America by Steve Rogers |
Chris Evans |
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) |
Of course, it’s possible that one of the MCU’s newest heroes could be promoted to the role of leader of the Avengers. Popular theories have suggested that the likes of Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and even Star-Lord could lead the titular team in Avengers: Judgment Day. While any of these candidates would certainly be great leaders, with some already having experience leading superhero teams, Bruce Banner’s Hulk tried hard and has mileage as a member of the original Avengers teamso he is a clear choice.
5
Bruce Banner is the oldest surviving original Avenger
Bruce Banner debuted in the MCU in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk
In addition to being perhaps the only member of the original Avengers team who would like to become the leader of the new Avengers, Bruce Banner has also been in the MCU for longer. Banner made his MCU debut in 2008 The Incredible Hulk – then played by Edward Norton – two years before any other original Avengers members were introduced (Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow in 2010). Iron Man 2). Robert Downey Jr. has appeared as Tony Stark’s Iron Man before, but his sacrifice makes it impossible for him to lead the new Avengers.
Having been in the MCU since the beginning, it’s a surprise that Bruce Banner was never given a more central role in the franchise. He has often been seen as a supporting character, which has been an unfortunate consequence of the fact that Universal still owns the rights to the Hulk film. This needs to change in Avengers: Judgment Dayand the best way to give Hulk some retribution would be to make him the leader of the Avengers – a role he was always destined for since his debut in The Incredible Hulk.
4
Bruce Banner is universally liked in the MCU
Bruce Banner is one of the coolest characters in the MCU
While the leader of the Avengers needs to be smart, powerful, and experienced, it would also be beneficial for this position to go to someone who is well-liked in the MCU world. Bruce Banner is one of the most supportive individuals in the MCU and is universally liked by everyonefrom kids in restaurants to your fellow superheroes. This quality would make him a much more effective leader, as the other members of the Avengers would listen to him, follow his commands easily, and respect his position.
Bruce Banner being liked would also present a huge advantage when rebuilding the Avengers team in Phase 6 of the MCU. While some of the MCU’s newer heroes may have difficulty building connections with potential Avengers members, perhaps not even being able to recruit them to the team, Banner wouldn’t find it difficult. This was already demonstrated when he brought Thor back into the mix in Avengers: Endgameand could be repeated with heroes like Captain Marvel, Shang-Chi, She-Hulk and many more.
3
The Hulk is one of the strongest heroes in the MCU
The Hulk is the strongest Avenger
As previously mentioned, physical strength is a necessity for the leader of the Avengers. The leader often needs to make bold and quick decisions, and sometimes use his strength to achieve his goals, and Bruce Banner’s Hulk has more physical power than almost every other hero in the MCU. This has been shown since the start of the MCU in 2008, as the Hulk was first seen fighting the equally powerful Abomination on the streets of Harlem in The Incredible Hulk.
Bruce Banner Live Action Project |
Year |
Paper |
---|---|---|
The Incredible Hulk |
2008 |
Main role |
The Avengers |
2012 |
Main role |
Iron Man 3 |
2013 |
Cameo |
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
2015 |
Main role |
Thor: Ragnarok |
2017 |
Main role |
Avengers: Infinity War |
2018 |
Main role |
Captain Marvel |
2019 |
Cameo |
Avengers: Endgame |
2019 |
Main role |
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings |
2021 |
Cameo |
She-Hulk: Lawyer |
2022 |
Minor Role |
While his power may have weakened over time, he’s still a formidable presence in the MCU. The Avengers saw the Hulk jump from building to building while fighting the Chitauri, while Avengers: Age of Ultron presented its epic and destructive violence in Johannesburg under the manipulation of Scarlet Witch. He was almost able to bring Thanos to his knees single-handedly in Avengers: Infinity Warwhile he later displayed his easy and impressive strength in She-Hulk: Lawyer debut. This absolute power would make him an excellent leader in Avengers: Judgment Day.
2
The MCU’s Hulk has experience with some of the universe’s most terrifying villains
The Hulk has fought many iconic MCU villains
Bruce Banner could use his wealth of experience battling some of the universe’s most powerful and terrifying villains to become a better leader of the Avengers in Phase 6. His long history in the MCU has pitted him against villains that other heroes would have struggled to face. battle, dating back to his fight against Emil Blonsky’s Abomination in 2008. Since then, the Hulk faced Loki, Ultron, Hela and her army and the Mad Titan, Thanos, each teaching him new lessons and allowing him to acquire new strengths.
These battles, as well as those against powerful heroes such as Iron Man in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor in The Avengers and Thor: Ragnaroktaught Bruce Banner many important lessons that he can use as the new leader of the Avengers. The range of antagonists the Hulk has fought has prepared him to face virtually any threat in the future of the MCUeven someone as scary and mysterious as Doctor Doom. Few other heroes have fought as many enemies as the Hulk, so he could finally put that experience to good use.
1
Hulk leading the Avengers makes a future MCU story more impactful
World War Hulk has been teased for the MCU
Although there has been no official confirmation regarding the development of a World War Hulk adaptation in the MCU, Marvel Studios appears to have dropped several hints that this epic 2007 Marvel Comics storyline could be turned into live action. If Bruce Banner’s Hulk becomes the leader of the Avengers, an adaptation of World War Hulk would have a much deeper impact. Not only would it be an ally who would turn against the Avengers and other heroes, but the team leader himself would become the most significant villain yet.
The exploration of Marvel Comics Planet Hulk story in Thor: Ragnarok started to provoke World War Hulk in the MCUsince this plot immediately preceded World War Hulk in the comics. More recently, the introduction of Skaar, the return of many Hulk-related characters in Captain America: Brave New World, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ the debut of the Illuminati and the next appearance of the X-Men make World War Hulk more likely. If Bruce Banner’s Hulk becomes the leader of the Avengers in Avengers: Judgment Daythe MCU World War Hulk it would be even more moving, emotional and intense.
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face Victor von Doom – played by the returned Robert DOwney Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
- Release date
-
May 1, 2026
- Studio(s)
-
Marvel Studios