2003's Hulk isn't known for its bombastic action or superhero spectacle. But what it lacks in essential comic book movie fare, it more than makes up for it with a cerebral and profoundly layered story about trauma and how people constructively (or destructively) deal with it. This is best showcased with the relationship between Bruce Banner and his father, David. Where Bruce chooses to hide from his trauma to protect himself, David acts as the physical embodiment of Bruce's pain and serves as a mental and later physical antagonist.
David eventually becomes a mixture of Bruce's father and the villain Absorbing Man, with him and the Hulk having a climactic father/son battle that ends with David seemingly killed. However, with the multiverse opening up new possibilities, this version of David may still exist and could be making his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to torture a variant of his son.
Who Is David Banner/Absorbing Man?
In the comics, Brian David Banner is the abusive father to Bruce. Not only did he despise his son for existing, but he also often took it out on his wife by beating her. Bruce's intelligence seemed to unsettle his father, and his aggression ultimately led to a tragic end when Brian killed his wife in front of his son. After reuniting over a decade later, Brian criticized Bruce to the point that his son accidentally killed him. On the other hand, the comics version of the Absorbing Man is far less tragic. Carl Creel was a boxer who was sent to prison, and at that time, Loki gave him a potion that allowed him to absorb any material. Since then, he has spent his years as both friend and foe to the superheroes and has been at odds with the Hulk on more than one occasion.
In 2003's Hulk, David Banner acted much like his comic counterpart in that they both worked in nuclear science. The film version was obsessed with improving humanity, even experimenting on himself. However, when Bruce was born, he learned that he passed on whatever he injected himself with to the infant. He spent years trying to find a cure but ultimately, he failed and tried to kill his son but instead killed his wife. Years later, David found Bruce, and when he learned that the Hulk had awakened within him, he sought to take that power for himself, treating Bruce as a power boost rather than his child.
What Are the Absorbing Man's Powers & Weaknesses?
After seeing the Hulk, David recreated the same accident that awakened Bruce's alter ego. However, rather than become a Hulk, he found he was able to absorb matter and energy. As he gets used to his power, he learns he can absorb metals and other forms of matter and energy, using these skills to kill a security guard. But by his final fight with the Hulk, David absorbs enough electricity to become a being of pure energy. Theoretically, if brought into the MCU, his ability to adapt to anything could let him go toe to toe with the likes of the Abomination and potentially even Thanos. This is mainly because of how much energy David can store at a given time. While his reserves are superhuman and beyond compare, he does have limits. The final fight showcases this when he becomes overcharged by Bruce's gamma energy and nearly explodes from the power. Nevertheless, when his powers are in check, David is almost unstoppable.
How Could David Banner Enter the MCU?
During the final fight, the Hulk's gamma nearly killed David. In fact, he became a massive energy bubble that was ready to pop at any moment. However, he was killed by a gamma bomb, which potentially saved even more lives. To be brought into the MCU, the gamma that David absorbed could've healed him enough to rebuild himself, which the Absorbing Man has done as well. Furthermore, because of his massive energy signature, he could potentially sense Bruce's variants and follow the trail to another son to torment. At the same time, The Immortal Hulk comic has recently shown the character as a demon who operates in the Below-Place. Perhaps with the help of Mephisto or the One Below All, he could cross through the multiverse and find a Bruce as strong as his own.
Ang Lee's Hulk set up a villain with limitless potential, and should he survive, the multiverse could allow him to unleash his terror on others. David desires power above all else, and the MCU has that in spades. With another Hulk who has his own traumas doing his best to help innocents, David's reappearance could be enough to reopen old wounds and force the Hulk to act in ways never seen before.