Original Avenger "confirmed" for Captain America 4 return; fans stunned

With Deadpool and Wolverine having arrived in movie theaters (and absolutely dominating the box office), the only Marvel Cinematic Universe film of 2024 is officially out in the world. The franchise will return with a TV series this year in Disney Plus' Agatha All Along but its next cinematic adventure will be Captain America: Brave New World, which comes out on Valentine's Day next year.

The fourth movie in the Captain America franchise, it will take place after the events of Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Sam Wilson officially takes up the shield as the next Star-Spangled Man. The first trailer was released last month, and it gave audiences a glimpse of what to expect, including the first official look at Harrison Ford's Red Hulk.

But it sounds like that won't be the only Hulk appearing in the movie.

Anthony Mackie suggests the Hulk will appear in Captain America: Brave New World

It sounds like Bruce Banner may be making his long-awaited return to the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World. The film's star, Anthony Mackie, seemed to suggest as much when he was being interviewed after San Diego Comic-Con with the rest of the cast.

During a chat with Entertainment Weekly, the cast were asked about how important the events of 2008's The Incredible Hulk would be given that there are multiple characters and story beats from that movie that will return in the 2024 film. Mackie responded by telling audiences that the movies weren't too connected but, in the midst of some playful interruptions from costar Harrison Ford (which may or may not have been disguised attempts to stop any spoilers from leaking out during the chat), he also may have accidentally confirmed that Hulk will appear in the movie.

"The events of Hulk and his film don’t pertain to this movie at all. When and if he shows up... Not Red Hulk! The other Hulk! There are multiple Hulks! So, when he shows up... his world, his universe, his story, is completely separate from what… the way we utilize him in our story."

Now, it's really quite possible that the star's comments about "if he shows up" could have just been referring to the character's general appearances throughout the MCU franchise and how his storylines are separate from the ones tackled in Brave New World. That being said, the reference to "the way we utilize him in our story" does appear to suggest that he will be involved in that story.

It sounds like there is real potential for Mark Ruffalo to reprise his role as Bruce Banner, who is now in his Professor Hulk persona. That would be ironic, as Ruffalo mistakenly "revealed" that he was in Captain America 4 earlier this year, but that was subsequently debunked by EW, who revealed that the actor misunderstood the question and seemingly confirmed that he wasn't actually in it. It turns out that this may not be the case after all. Could a Hulk appearance have been added via a reshoot?

As for what role he could play, the answer is seemingly obvious. If the Hulk is involved in any capacity, it would likely be to help Captain America in taking down the Red Hulk. President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross is one of the movie's primary characters and he has a long history with Bruce Banner, so it would be pretty ironic if the two ended up squaring off against each other on the big screen - and, honestly, long overdue.

Naturally, this has all sent the internet into meltdown, both about the fact that the Hulk's return might have been accidentally spoiled, and what an appearance could mean for his character. If you look at social media, you'll see that audiences want to see Red Hulk vs. Hulk, and honestly who could blame them? That showdown always seemed like a possibility off on the horizon, but the potential of it happening in the near future is just too exciting.

Ruffalo made his most recent appearance in the MCU in 2022's She-Hulk: Attorney At Law when he discovered that he had a son named Skaar. At that point, it was unclear what kind of role either of them would play going forward, but a number of rumors have since suggested that one of the Multiverse Saga's more grounded subplots may entail Banner's upset over the government's attempt to create more Hulks, resulting in a potential adaptation of the iconic World War Hulk storyline. If that is indeed the case, it sounds like the wheels could be set in motion with Captain America: Brave New World.

Captain America: Brave New World arrives in movie theaters on February 14, 2025.