After 18 Years, The Hulk Is Closer To An MCU Power Upgrade Than Ever Before

Published Oct 4, 2026, 8:55 AM EDT

Zoë Miskelly is an editor and second in command for Screen Rant's Movies team, having covered the entertainment industry for almost 10 years now. Zoë's love of superheroes and all things Marvel & DC started out in childhood, and has blossomed into a career getting to talk about some of the biggest and best movies and shows of all time, having previously focused on comics while working at WhatCulture.

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The Hulk's best shot at an MCU power upgrade appears to have been established almost two decades into the franchise's run thanks to the setup for Avengers: Doomsday. While the MCU timeline has made no secret of the Hulk being immensely powerful, much of the kind of power we've seen the Hulk display in the comics has been absent in the on-screen franchise, as it's had to focus less on the character overall, with the Hulk only appearing as a side character who plays a role in MCU crossovers.

With the MCU's animated spinoff What If...? series exploring how easily the Hulk could theoretically be given colossal power upgrades in the right (or wrong) kind of scenario, it's clear there is narrative potential in boosting the main MCU Hulk's abilities temporarily or otherwise, even if the franchise has largely skirted around this kind of territory.

With that said, the latest updates we've gotten about the MCU in the buildup to the release of Avengers: Doomsday means the stage is very much set for the film in a way that makes it easy to see how the film could take the character's story into this territory, especially since doing so would ensure 2026's MCU movie offerings aren't too similar in terms of how they approach the Hulk and his unique abilities.

Doctor Doom Teaming Up With The Hulk Makes An MCU Power Upgrade For The Character More Likely Than Ever

Avengers: Endgame Encore notably features an additional new scene wherein Doctor Doom arrives to seemingly take Bruce Banner away for his own machinations, suggesting Banner or the Hulk - or both - are set to play an integral role in Doom's schemes in Avengers: Doomsday.

Unlike figures like Iron Man, whose work with Banner largely focused on keeping him safe and ensuring the Hulk wouldn't go on further berserker rampages, Doom's more villainous characterization means it's likely he isn't as concerned about Banner's safety or wellbeing, and is either focused on Bruce's intellect and scientific know-how, or on the Hulk's sheer raw gamma-infused strength.

Both routes would mean Doctor Doom seems positioned to provide Hulk with a power upgrade of sorts - either by enhancing the power of the Hulk to ensure his powers can be used for whatever intended purpose against some no doubt strong forces, or by providing Banner with some of Doom's own tech in order to work with him on some multiversal device. However, both avenues would also present some immense dangers for the Hulk, since a desperate Doctor Doom would no doubt consider the scientist expendable.

Giving The Hulk A Power Upgrade Would Be The Perfect Way To Make His Spider-Man: Brand New Day Story & Avengers: Doomsday Story Feel Different

Plenty of people have noted that Doctor Doom stealing the Hulk away to seemingly use him in some manner bears striking resemblance to Hulk's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day earlier this year, wherein Jean Grey mind controls Bruce Banner and forces him to revert to his more primal Hulk form for the first time in years.

As such, it does seem to make sense for Avengers: Doomsday to give the Hulk some form of power upgrade if it goes down the line of having Banner or his green compatriot be the pawn or ally of Doom in some capacity in the film.

Ultimately, this would not only ensure that 2026's two MCU movies don't feel too similar in terms of how they use the character of the Hulk, but also open the floor up for some truly impeccable fight scenes involving the Hulk in Avengers: Doomsday as well, and allow the Hulk's arc to develop in a way that similarly opens up potential for much more character development further down the line to boot.

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  Victor von Doom

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  Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic

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  Thor

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  Vanessa Kirby

  Sue Storm / Invisible Woman

Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film and kicks off Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A stacked cast of heroes both new and old to the MCU — including members of the X-Men — will face off against Victor von Doom, revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024 to be played by a returning Robert Downey Jr.