Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Betty Ross is one of the more forgotten characters of The Hulk’s mythos, whether it be the films or comics. She appeared last in the MCU back in 2008, when Edward Norton was the Incredible Hulk. Essayed by the likes of Jennifer Connely (in Ang Lee’sHulkfilm) and Liv Tyler (in the MCU), Betty Ross has always served as the ‘beauty’ part of the Beauty and the Beast dynamic she has going on with Bruce Banner and the Hulk, much to Thaddeus’ charging. However, that dynamic was lost in the MCU, especially after the franchise started shipping Bruce with Natasha.
While Betty Ross has been largely absent from the MCU, only appearing inThe Incredible HulkandWhat If…?, the character might have been indirectly the most instrumental figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did she save the Hulk, but she might have also inadvertently given the Jade Giant the means to save the world.
Betty Ross is the reason Edward Norton’s Bruce Banner was able to absorb the Gamma radiation
When Tony Stark says that the amount of Gamma radiation that Bruce absorbed should have killed him, Bruce responds that the “other guy” saved him, referring to the Hulk. However, it is much more accurate to say that Betty Ross, a fellow scientist to Bruce in this continuity, specializing in cell biology and radiation, created the means by which Bruce was spared a painful, irradiated death.
Betty Ross was responsible for not only giving but also creating the myostatin primer that saved Bruce’s life. Bruce was under the impression that he was simply testing a vaccine that could prevent radiation damage. The primer created by Betty was meant to allow the cells to absorb radiation without damage.
“You’re usually the wife or the girlfriend”: Lord of the Rings Fame Couldn’t Save Liv Tyler from One Curse That Made Her a Second Class Citizen in Hollywood
It was similar to how vita rays were bombarded on Steve Rogers’ version of the serum to allow the process of transformation into his buff version to complete. However, when Banner upped his dosage of radiation, the process was stalled, sort of like it was with The Red Skull and other failed super soldiers, resulting in The Hulk.
18 months in the Gamma Lab helped stabilize Bruce, allowing him to not only take part in battle more intelligently but also cause The Blip, bringing everybody back, given that The Infinity Gems emitted Gamma radiation for the most part as well.
Is Betty Ross going to return to the MCU?
Liv Tylerwill be appearing inCaptain America: Brave New Worldas Betty Ross,seventeen years after the character’s last live-actionappearance in 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk, which had Edward Norton star in the role of MCU’s Bruce Banner before Mark Ruffalo picked up the character inThe Avengers.
It has already been revealed in the marketing material for the film that Thunderbolt Ross will be transforming into his own superhero alter ego, Red Hulk. Betty Ross has also been part of the Hulk family, transforming into Red She-Hulk after she is treated the same way her father was.
Captain America: Brave New World Full Cast: Will Chris Evans Make a Cameo Appearance in the Anthony Mackie Starrer?
Given that Red Hulk, Abomination, Skaar, and She-Hulk have made their way into the MCU, it seems that the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be gearing up for a Hulk-centric story, something likeWorld War Hulks, or with the coming ofSecret Wars,Planet Hulk. The latter would be a different kind of story, unrelated to the storyline that has the Illuminati send the Hulk into space, which shares its name. This story takes place on Battleworld, with a slew of Hulks living together and functioning as a tribe.
Alternatively, this could be in preparation for the rumored Wolverine vs Hulk film, which could also take place on Battleworld, where it is expected that the multiverse will dump all its characters from across films, for the sake of creating a single universe, where the X-Men, The Fantastic Four, and The Avengers can co-exist, finally bringing all of Marvel’s roster under one roof.
Captain America: Brave New Worldhits theatres on June 11, 2025.
Anuraag Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :1633
Anuraag Chatterjee, Web Content WriterWith a passion for writing fiction and non fiction content, Anuraag is a Media Science graduate with 2 year’s experience with Marketing and Content, with 3 published poetry anthologies. Anuraag holds a Bacherlor’s degree in Arts with a focus on Communication and Media Studies.
