Believe it or not, The Incredible Hulk, often considered a bit different from other Marvel movies, turned 18 years old on June 13th, 2008. It was the second movie in what would become the massive MCU (and the only one ever distributed by Universal Pictures!). Despite being the first and so far only solo film starring Marvel’s Hulk, a proper sequel still seems unlikely – even if it meant seeing Mark Ruffalo take over the role from Edward Norton. Over time, people have actually started to appreciate The Incredible Hulk more than they did initially, especially considering how Bruce Banner’s story evolved after Avengers: Endgame. If you’re looking for non-stop Hulk action, this movie is one of the best places to find it. Interestingly, the film also quietly laid the groundwork for another famously grumpy Marvel character: Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman’s popularity ensured his portrayal of Wolverine remained iconic, even after his character seemingly had a definitive ending in Logan. This allowed Wolverine to seamlessly transition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Disney acquired Fox. Deadpool & Wolverine delivered on that promise, and while Logan’s impact hasn’t been erased, it seems likely Jackman will eventually retire the role, making way for a new actor. Many names have been suggested as potential replacements, including Daniel Radcliffe and Henry Cavill, and it’s almost certain someone else will take on the mantle. Wolverine is too important to leave out of Marvel’s plans for mutants, and because of a connection in The Incredible Hulk, we already have a starting point for his backstory.
How The Incredible Hulk Set Up A New Wolverine
Eighteen years ago, when The Incredible Hulk first came out in theaters, fans of Wolverine got a surprise connection to the story. The movie established the Weapon Plus program as part of Hulk’s backstory. This detail is often forgotten now, but Bruce Banner became the Hulk because General Ross tried to restart Project Rebirth – the top-secret government initiative that originally created Captain America by turning Steve Rogers into a super-soldier.
Following Emil Blonsky’s loss to the Hulk, General Ross explains to him how Bruce Banner transforms and reveals they’ve created another version of the super-soldier serum. Blonsky eagerly volunteers and becomes the Abomination. While Ross retrieves the serum, we learn some surprising information: the company that made it, Cryosync, has ties to Tony Stark’s company. This connection to the super-soldier program has never been mentioned again, but it could be linked to the actions of Obadiah Stane while Tony Stark was unavailable.
The show also includes a reference to Dr. Reinstein (Stanley Tucci’s character from Captain America: The First Avenger). Even more intriguing is a label for “Weapons Plus,” hinting that the serum used to create the Abomination was connected to the same secret program that eventually gave Wolverine his Adamantium skeleton. In Marvel comics, particularly in New X-Men #128, Weapons Plus was a series of experiments aimed at creating super soldiers. It started with Weapon I – the original Project Rebirth seen in the MCU – and continued through Weapon XVI, with several variations along the way. Wolverine was just one outcome; Deadpool, Logan’s clone X-23, and Fantomex were all also created as part of this program.
It felt like a minor detail when it was first mentioned, especially considering the complicated ownership issues Marvel had with its characters in the early 2000s. However, it’s still officially part of Marvel’s established story and offers a sensible way to introduce Wolverine’s history in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without relying on the idea of multiple universes. I’m hoping this connection is revisited after Avengers: Secret Wars (and the potential reboot of the MCU) because linking Wolverine to Captain America feels true to what’s already been established. This could also allow for a Wolverine origin story set earlier than the current MCU timeline – similar to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but hopefully much better – and give the character room to develop before joining the X-Men.
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2026-06-14 00:40