As the Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded with more characters and films, The Hulk has gone from the front-runner of his own franchise to a character whose story was mainly told in other films. While that hasn't marred his journey as a character narratively speaking, it has made his solo film, The Incredible Hulk, a bit of a black sheep among MCU movies. But even though it isn't remembered as well as others that came before or after it, it featured an incredibly important end credits scene that set up its connected universe more definitely than Iron Man. But even more impressive was how two talented actors improvised the entire moment.
The Incredible Hulk was released in 2008 and featured a Bruce Banner that was savvier with surviving on the run. He was also knee-deep in research to find a cure for the creature that lurked within him. However, as always, fate had other plans, and rather than destroy The Hulk, Banner and the Green Goliath reached a loose understanding and left the film to eventually be recruited by SHIELD and become an Avenger. But before that stage was set, a totally different situation was nearly created where The Hulk would've been an aggressor rather than a hero.
Before the credits rolled on The Incredible Hulk, the film cut to a bar to find General Thunderbolt Ross, as played by the late William Hurt. Wallowing in his defeat against The Hulk and his hand in creating The Abomination, he was met by none other than Tony Stark. Before a few condescending words were shared, Stark mentioned that he was putting a team together with others to seemingly put a stop to The Hulk's rampage. But before audiences were given an answer to the identity of the "we" Stark mentioned, the screen cut to black. According to Hurt, the entire scene, including its setup, was totally made up on the fly. In fact, they didn't even have a script.
While this concept may seem haphazard, with no lines for actors to bounce off of, the opportunity allowed Hurt to get more in touch with his character. It was an exercise for Robert Downey Jr. as well, and the two managed to help usher in a world where these superhero films had the potential to connect on a larger scale. While Iron Man showed that the possibilities were endless, The Incredible Hulk confirmed these suspicions and connected the two franchises forever. Although the initial concept wasn't brought to life, it still mirrored the Avengers' first outing in the comics, where they had to face The Hulk. Furthermore, the notion was still used in the Avengers film when Banner changed and went on a rampage inside the helicarrier.
Although the MCU wasn't fully alive at the time of The Incredible Hulk, its end credits scene made a big promise. It also foreshadowed Stark's relationship with General Ross, which would later be fleshed out in Captain America: Civil War. For a brief few moments, it laid the groundwork for many years of stories still being impacted by this film. Had Stark and Ross not met, it's likely the MCU would've happened, but the spirit of improvisation made this moment crucial to the MCU's growth.
It's been chronicled time and again how actor improvisation has created some of the best moments in the MCU and film as a whole. But for an entire scene to be improvised as a way to confirm the MCU is connected changed everything. On the one hand, this scene may be the most important end credits scene ever. On the other, it represented that no matter the budget or fame, the real reason these films work is that their creators are willing to think on the fly and deliver unforgettable and organic moments.