Now Showing: The Hulk 3

 

The Hulk 3

Genre: Action / Superhero / Sci-Fi

Director: Leigh Whannell

Writer: Mark Newton

Based on Marvel Comics characters

Cast: Mark Duplass, Bryce Dallas Howard, Don Johnson, Timothy Olyphant, Jenny Slate, William H. Macy, Tom Hollander, Zach Gilford, Harold Perrineau, Hannah Simone

Plot: Inside a SHIELD research facility, Bruce Banner (Mark Duplass) moves among other scientists and technicians. He studies gamma readouts and extraterrestrial threat models projected across large screens. He calmly corrects some of the data. General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Don Johnson) oversees the operation from the perimeter. He's grown to trust Bruce's expertise, but never lets his guard down. Betty Ross Banner (Bryce Dallas Howard) checks in on Bruce and her father, keeping equal tabs on both of them. 

Glenn Talbot (Timothy Olyphant) sits alone in a fleabag motel as a television blares news coverage showing the Hulk fighting during the Galactus invasion. Talbot's jaw tightens as watches. Not long before, Talbot had stood before a military tribunal under court-martial. General Ross appears as a witness, outlining Talbot's reckless behavior and refusal to follow command. The verdict is swift. Talbot's rank is stripped in front of his peers. The punishment stops just short of imprisonment. Back in the present, Talbot throws the remote at the television, shattering the screen. 

Inside a SHIELD strategy room, General Reginald Fortean presents a long-term defense initiative to senior officials. Projected schematics outline theoretical applications of gamma exposure in controlled military units - enhanced strength, accelerated healing, and battlefield resilience. Fortean frames the proposal as a natural evolution of super-soldier programs. General Ross responds immediately, stepping forward to halt the presentation before it can gain momentum. He points out the several failed attempts and collateral damaged caused by trying to weaponize gamma. Fortean remains composed, acknowledging Ross’s concerns without conceding them.

Under the cover of night, Talbot leads a small team of hired mercenaries through sewer tunnels leading to an underground facility once used by Samuel Sterns. Inside, the lab is dark, and was clearly abandoned in a hurry. Talbot, frustrated, rummages through what's left of Sterns' lab, looking for his gamma research. Just as Talbot prepares to leave, one of the mercenaries uncovers a secured laptop and a hidden cache of notebooks sealed inside a blast-resistant drawer. When Talbot accesses the data, he finds Sterns' gamma research. Talbot keeps the notebooks and laptop for himself and orders the team to destroy the lab.

Betty and Bruce's cousin Jennifer Walters (Jenny Slate) arrive together at the SHIELD facility, passing through layers of clearance before reaching Bruce’s workspace. Bruce greets them warmly. The visit leads them to an isolated wing of the facility where Ben Tibbetts (Zach Gilford) lives under constant supervision. Bruce enters alone at first, checking vitals and guiding Tibbetts through controlled physical movements designed to prevent gamma surges. Tibbetts responds with visible frustration, his body tense and his isolation unmistakable. Tibbetts jokes that no matter how much he hates living in the lab, he couldn't live with himself if he transformed into Flux again and hurt anyone else.

Talbot travels to a forgotten industrial zone in Symkaria where a lone research complex operates. Inside, Dr. Emil Blonsky (Tom Hollander) works in isolation. Blonsky reacts with suspicion to Talbot's presence, joking about which one of them has the worse reputation now. Talbot produces the stolen research from Sterns' lab. The moment Blonsky sees the gamma data, he recognizes the work instantly. Blonsky agrees to recreate and exceed Sterns’ formula. Talbot says that he found the right monster to turn him into one. As Talbot leaves, Blonsky begins altering the data, already planning experiments no one else would dare attempt - exactly as Talbot intended.

Fortean pays Ross a visit in his office. Fortean tells Ross that it is a courtesy visit to inform him that the Hulk's actions working with the Avengers to protect Earth from an alien invasion has only increased interest in weaponing gamma within the US military. Ross points out all the failed experiments, including Tibbetts who was uncontrollable. Fortean then brings up Bruce Banner as an example of a case that worked. Ross makes it clear that nobody controls Bruce other than Bruce - attempts to do so did not go well. Fortean makes it clear that he's going above Ross's head.

Inside Blonsky's lab, Talbot is strapped down to an examination table. Blonsky prepares several injections of the gamma formula. Several syringes simultaneously inject Talbot with the formula. Lights flicker, machinery rattles, and warning signals spike as the compound enters Talbot's bloodstream. Almost immediately, Talbot’s body reacts violently. Muscles swell beyond their frame, bones shift and crack beneath the skin, and veins darken as his physiology begins to tear itself apart and reassemble. The transformation accelerates out of Blonsky’s control. Talbot breaks free of his restraints as his body continues to expand, his form becoming misshapen and monstrous. Blonsky attempts to intervene, calling what Talbot has become an "Abomination" as he scrambles to stop the process. With a single, overwhelming burst of strength, Talbot attacks, killing Blonsky instantly and reducing the lab to wreckage. 

At home, Bruce clears dishes after dinner while Betty sorts through mail at the table. Suddenly, something slams against the front of the house with a wet crack. A second impact follows, then a third. Yellow yolk streaks down the front door as laughter echoes from teenagers down the street. Bruce stiffens instantly when he sees the mess from the prank. His hands clench. Betty moves to him and places her hand on his shoulder. Bruce closes his eyes and forces his breathing to slow. Bruce is able to calm himself down. He then steps outside and quietly wipes the egg away. Betty joins him to help.

Ross is informed of an incident in Symkaria by SHIELD analyst Kate Neville (Hannah Simone). Ross asks why this concerns himself or SHIELD. Neville then shows Ross footage showing Talbot's transformation recovered from Blonsky's servers. Ross is stunned as he sees Talbot transform into Abomination. Ross announces that they all need to be on high alert.

Geoffrey Crawford (William H. Macy) works in his lab, no longer confined to a wheelchair after his own exposure to gamma radiation. The walls around him begin to shake. Talbot aka the Abomination crashes through the facility like a battering ram. Crawford confronts Talbot, and is even able to hold his own thanks to his gamma powers. The balance doesn't last though. Talbot is able to overpower Crawford, slamming him through the walls. After killing Crawford, Talbot injects himself with Crawford's gamma-infused blood, his body convulsing almost immediately. Muscles distort further, bone structure thickens, and his already monstrous form becomes more grotesque and unstable.

General Ross arrives at Crawford's destroyed research facility hours after the attack. Ross studies the damage as SHIELD technicians inform him that the gamma readings are through the roof. Ross knows that Talbot must be responsible, believing that Talbot is targeting other individuals with known gamma exposure. Ross meets with Bruce and Betty privately, presenting the evidence. He urges them to disappear temporarily, believing Talbot will seek Bruce out next and that military resources can intercept Talbot. Bruce reluctantly agrees, prioritizing Betty’s safety over his instincts to fight Talbot himself. 

Bruce and Betty are hiding out off-the-grid in a very remote cabin. Bruce moves restlessly through the cabin, unable to sit still. Betty watches him pace. Bruce lays out the reality of the situation - Talbot is escalating, people are already dead, and hiding only delays the inevitable. Betty makes it clear that she will support whatever decision Bruce makes. Bruce finally stops pacing and makes a decision - he 

will confront Talbot directly and use his power to protect people. Betty doesn't argue, but insists on going where ever he goes.

With Bruce and Betty off the grid, Ross studies the remaining list of individuals connected to gamma exposure, concluding that Jennifer Walters is the next most visible and least protected target left. Ross mobilizes a SHIELD response immediately. 

At Jennifer’s law firm, the day unfolds normally until the building itself begins to buckle. Talbot crashes through the upper floors without warning, tearing through offices and support columns as alarms blare and glass rains down onto the street below. Jennifer barely has time to react before Talbot forces his way toward her. She flees through debris-choked hallways as Talbot advances relentlessly, unconcerned with civilians or collateral damage. SHIELD units arrive, deploying heavy weapons. The effort fails almost instantly. Talbot tears through vehicles and personnel alike, swatting soldiers aside and using their own equipment against them. As Talbot corners Jennifer amid the ruins of the building, a sudden impact sends him flying backward. Bruce Banner crashes down after him as the Hulk, tackling Abomination. Talbot's size and additional mutations give him a frightening advantage as he towers over Hulk. Jennifer sighs that she just bought her new suit before transforming into She-Hulk, destroying her new business professional work suit. She charges into the fight, striking Talbot from the side. Hulk and She-Hulk work together, trading punches at Abomination, their teamwork overpowering him. Abomination breaks away, retreating into the wreckage - but not before naming everyone he plans on killing: Bruce, Betty, Jennifer, and Ross.

Ross orders everyone back to the SHIELD facility to lure the Abomination away from civilization and to a location they know well and can set up a trap at. Kate Neville begins evacuating the facility of any non-combat personnel. Tibbetts exits his containment and offers to help fight Abomination in his Flux form. Bruce tells him that he doesn't need to do anything he's afraid of, but can instead help lead the evacuation. Tibbetts nods and thanks Bruce. Ross orders Betty to evacuate as well, but she refuses. She insists on staying with her family. The SHIELD facility is quickly cleared. Ross tells Bruce and Jennifer where to position themselves to be ready.

Abomination tears through the facility's blast doors like paper as alarms begin to blare. Once he enters the main chamber, he looks at Ross who stands in a control booth. Abomination is about to leap at the booth, when he is tackled by Hulk and She-Hulk. They brawl through the facility, tearing it apart. Abomination is clearly stronger than Hulk or She-Hulk alone, so they work together. Hulk takes the brunt of Abomination's strikes while She-Hulk does her best to attack. Abomination spots Betty and charges at her. Hulk grows angrier. His body swells and muscles grow as his rage spikes - his frame now nearly matching Abomination's Hulk grabs Abomination by the neck and begins repeatedly smashing him into the ground until he stops moving, with the final blow sending a massive shockwave through the facility. Abomination's form turns back into Talbot, unconscious, in a crater that has formed from Hulk's attacks. Ross orders Talbot arrested and put into a medically induced coma so he cannot transform. She-Hulk turns back into Jennifer, but Hulk remains. It isn't until Betty emerges that Hulk is able to calm down enough to turn back into Bruce. He turns to hug Betty, realizing he needs some new pants now. Ross orders someone to find Bruce some pants.

In the aftermath, Ross appears before a government tribunal reviewing the incident at the SHIELD facility. The review concludes with Ross formally appointed as the new director of SHIELD - a position that has been vacant since the death of Tony Stark. Later, Ross meets with Bruce and thanks him for always putting Betty first - even when in his green and scary state. Ross offers Bruce a handshake, but Bruce gives him a hug instead - clearly making the military man uncomfortable.

Post Credits: In the sublevel of a SHIELD black site, Fortean watches footage of the battle between Hulk, She-Hulk, and Abomination. He then looks down at a folder in front of him labeled "Project RED", which he stamps with his approval.