Hulk (2003) is not on Disney+ as it was not made by Disney or Marvel Studios. Hulk failed to garner an immediate following like several other superhero movies of its time. In large part, this uneven reception is likely because Hulk isn't terribly interested in being a traditional superhero movie.
The reason why Marvel can't make a Hulk movie is that they don't own the rights to do so. While Marvel owns the film rights to the Hulk franchise, the distribution rights are owned by Universal Pictures, so a Hulk movie can only be made if Universal Pictures puts it out.
One of the main criticisms of Hulk is its bad CGI, and while it still isn't great, it's clear that audiences and critics take major issues when CGI is not up to expectation, as seen with the MCU. She-Hulk Star Tatiana Maslany Addresses Divisive Season Finale!
Marvel's Official Timeline Changed When Hulk Was Born
Previously, there was a possible connection between 2008's The Incredible Hulk and 2003's Hulk from director Ang Lee due to the MCU movie's 5-year time jump and the time between the Hulk movies; however, the new reveal cements the MCU Hulk's different origin.
Have you ever wondered why The Incredible Hulk wasn't on Disney+ before now? It's because this movie was produced by Universal Pictures and Marvel Studios a year before Disney purchased Marvel in 2009.
Why HULK (2003) Is Actually the First Movie in the MCU
Is Hulk 2003 on Hulu?
Hulu has officially announced that 'Hulk' (2003) will be removed from their service library on September 30. It is speculated that the movie may shift to Disney+ but there has been no official word yet.
But, as Marvel fans will know, there are 27 total films in the MCU so far, meaning that four are missing. These are the 2008 Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton, plus the three MCU Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland—that is, Homecoming, Far From Home and No Way Home.
As much as it may be hard to believe, despite not receiving a direct sequel, The Incredible Hulk is indeed canon in the larger scheme of the MCU. The contents and storyline of the film are referenced in subtle ways throughout the MCU films over the years.
Summary. The official timeline for The Incredible Hulk disregards any connection to the previous Hulk movie, Ang Lee's Hulk. The events of The Incredible Hulk take place in 2010, five years after Bruce Banner's first transformation into the Hulk.
Co-director Joe Russo eventually clarified that the real reason Hulk stayed out of the fight was simply because he was "tired of playing hero to Bruce Banner."
As time passed, however, he became more vile and cruel, presumably because of the gamma radiation corrupting his mind. However, nothing in the text proves the radiation supported this, and because the Hulk is shown to outright gloat about his villainy, this disqualifies The Hulk from having any moral agency issues.
It is commonly known among audiences that the reason for this, per Cinema Blend, is that Norton just did not fit the kind of movie Marvel Studios ultimately intended to make.
Depicted as an evil version of the Hulk from an alternate future (designated by Marvel Comics as Earth-9200), the Maestro possesses Bruce Banner's intelligence and the Hulk's strength and more malevolent personality traits.
When they were acquired by Disney, though, they gained the House of Mouse's own distribution channels. And there was no way Disney would pay to produce The Incredible Hulk 2, but allow Universal to profit from the distribution.
Because back when Marvel was about to go bankrupt, they sold the movie Rights of certain characters to different companies. Spider-Man went to Sony, Hulk went to Universal, and X-Men, Fantastic 4, Ghost Rider and Blade went to Fox. Why doesn't Marvel buy back the rights for Spider-Man?
It seems that Hulk gets smarter. And if you are to compare, hulk 2003 grows more in size rather than strength. And the way the 2008 movie display his strength is way better than 2003 variant.
After David Banner's institutionalization, 4-year-old Bruce is sent into foster care and adopted, taking on the last name Krenzler and believing that both of his biological parents are dead.
Ang Lee's Hulk adapted the origin of the character in a different way from what the comic books had established. While Bruce Banner still saved a life, it wasn't a Gamma Bomb that created The Hulk.
After William Hurt's death last year, it seemed as though Ross's alter-ego would never make his MCU debut. However, Harrison Ford's casting essentially confirms Red Hulk for the MCU, as Marvel likely wouldn't have recast the character if they didn't have major plans for his future.
Despite the confusion over why Morbius is streaming on Disney+ but Spider-Man: No Way Home is not, the answer is fairly simple. While Marvel Studios' Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland are part of the MCU, the distribution (and thus streaming) rights are held by Sony Pictures.
Fortunately, it's unlikely that Disney will drop any of Marvel Studios' shows and films. As data has shown, MCU Disney+ series are some of the highest-viewed content on the streamer and are a massive contributor to its success.
Popular MCU shows like WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Hawkeye, and Loki have paved the way for more exciting Disney+ series in development. Upcoming series include Agatha, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and more.
