The 2008 blockbuster The Incredible Hulk finally brought Hulk fans redemption for their beloved superhero. Many opinions about the film indicate that the 2008 version was much more faithful to the comic than the 2003 release.
The Hulk movie not only included Hulk universe staples like Doc Sampson and Abomination, but also made references to other Marvel comic book superheroes like Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. Than? Didn’t you see these guys? It’s okay. These guys and a few others were present in the form of hints, allusions, and “Easter Eggs.” It’s a great way to set up future movies like the Avengers, Thor, and Captain America.
Here’s the list of Marvel cross references if you missed them:
* Allusion to Thor in the cave scene. A very powerful scene that reminded me of King Kong. Outside the cave, lightning and thunder roared. One of the bolts hit the Hulk causing him to howl skyward in defiance of the elements. In the Marvel universe, Thor is the god of war and thunder and many fans saw this scene as Thor sizing up the Hulk before an eventual showdown.
* Stark Industries in documents in the opening sequence. Stark Industries is a weapons manufacturer owned by Tony Stark, who also flies as Iron Man.
* Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) cameo in the final scene talking to General Ross about a new team he’s putting together. The buzz online is that Stark is referring to the formation of the Avengers.
* SHIELD name and logo on the opening montage documents. SHIELD stands for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division. It is “a nongovernmental intelligence and security organization dedicated to protecting the nations and peoples of Earth from all threats, terrestrial or extraterrestrial.” (Marvel.com). SHIELD often works with the Avengers and is led by Nick Fury. Samuel L. Jackson made a cameo appearance in Iron Man as Nick Fury.
* The SHIELD logo can also be seen in the email stream when, from a gas station computer, Banner emailed Mr. Blue the data from his experiments. SHIELD technology intercepted the message.
* The blue serum that turned Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) into a super soldier refers to Captain America, the first super soldier created by the US government during World War II.
* The blue serum turns Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) into a super soldier in the Hulk movie
* Blonsky’s super speed and agility, coupled with his military training and experience, showed how Captain America would fare against a much stronger opponent like the Hulk.
* Blonsky’s healing ability also demonstrates how Captain America was able to survive frozen in the Arctic since World War II. In the comics, the Avengers found Captain America’s body frozen in a block of ice somewhere in the North Pole.
* Jim Wilson, one of the college students interviewed by the media as a witness to the battle between the Hulk and the US Army, is the nephew of Sam Wilson. Sam Wilson is a superhero known as the Falcon, a friend of Captain America. Jim Wilson also appears as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk in other issues.
* The blue serum is clearly labeled as Weapons Plus. This one is a bit of a stretch, but the program that created Wolverine is called Weapons X. Wolverine made his first appearance in an Incredible Hulk comic.
* Stan Lee cameo drinking the gamma ray soda and falling from poison. Marvel movies are known for Stan Lee cameos.
*Stanleys Pizza is the name of the restaurant where Banner temporarily stayed and where Betty first discovered his return. The name is too close to Stan Lee to dismiss as a coincidence.
* Paul Soles playing Stanleys is the voice of Spider-Man in the late 1960s cartoons.