Warning! SPOILERS for Moon Knight episode 2.

Marvel Studios proves how badly the Marvel Cinematic Universe has failed Hulk after Moon Knight episode 2. Through the Phase 4 Disney+ show, Marvel introduced audiences to Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector – a man diagnosed with a dissociative identity disorder. The multiple personalities of Moon Knight‘s Marc Spector and Steven Grant have been front and center since the beginning of the show’s story. Despite the short amount of time the MCU has spent with Moon Knight, the handling of his different personalities has been one of the areas that the show has succeeded in. However, it also serves as a reminder that Hulk hasn’t been fully realized in the MCU yet.

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The MCU has had Bruce Banner as part of its universe since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton. Even though Mark Ruffalo replaced him for The Avengers and didn’t receive a starring role afterward, that hasn’t stopped Hulk from being a major character in the Infinity Saga. He played a massive role in the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, as Hulk was the one who reversed Thanos’ snap. The significance of Bruce Banner’s contributions are not easily forgotten, but that doesn’t mean the MCU has nailed his characterization. After Moon Knight episode 2, some might realize just how poorly Marvel Studios has handled the relationship between Bruce Banner and Hulk.

Moon Knight and Hulk have repeatedly drawn comparisons in the past because both characters deal with multiple personalities in some sense. The fight for control between Marc Spector and Steven Grant is quite reminiscent of the ongoing feud between Bruce Banner and Hulk. However, Moon Knight episode 2 is the first time that Marvel has really let the fight play out in a meaningful way. Moon Knight‘s Marc and Steven fight for control throughout the episode and even have conversations about why each of them believes they should be in control. The time spent with both personalities really establishes how different they are, and the MCU has leaned directly into this from the beginning of Moon Knight’s role. This contrasts with Marvel’s exploration of the Hulk and Bruce Banner dynamic, which hasn’t been the primary focus of their stories.

 

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Marvel has spent some time highlighting how Hulk and Bruce Banner are different, but this mostly comes in short bursts. Thor: Ragnarok gave each side of the character a chance to shine and explain their unhappiness with the other half. However, whenever these moments come, it traditionally is done as Hulk or Bruce talk to another character. Avengers: Infinity War is the only time the MCU has shown Hulk and Bruce Banner have any sort of communication back and forth, and that lasted for just a few seconds. Moon Knight is tackling the inner turmoil head-on and giving the different personalities a chance to interact, and Moon Knight episode 2 is a great example of how it can be done to build up both sides of the character. In fact, Marvel Studios skipped past the best opportunity to show Hulk in a similar light by changing the Smart Hulk debut and having it happen off-screen in Avengers: Endgame.

As Moon Knight is sure to only dive deeper into the complicated relationship between the lead character’s multiple personalities, the difference between how he and Hulk are being treated will only become more striking. This is especially true depending on what happens with Hulk in MCU Phase 4. Smart Hulk is confirmed to return in She-Hulk and could either show some of the Hulk/Bruce Banner struggles through flashbacks or reverse the Smart Hulk transformation to allow this going forward. If not, Moon Knight‘s ability to have Marc and Steven interact with each other could be the closest audiences get to seeing Hulk and Banner’s conflict.

Moon Knight releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

Key Release Dates
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  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
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About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5638 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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