20 years before the MCU kicked-off and The Incredible Hulk introduced audiences to Bruce Banner, the Hulk met another future Avenger in a made-for-TV movie. 2008's The Incredible Hulk saw Edward Norton debut as Bruce Banner, a former physicist and biochemist at Culver University whose exposure to gamma radiation transforms him into the Hulk when he becomes enraged. The Incredible Hulk marked the start of a lengthy career for the Hulk in the MCU, who, after being recast for Mark Ruffalo, survived his self-exile on Sakaar, and has more recently been combined with Banner's human persona to create Smart Hulk.
https://screenrant.com/avengers-thor-hulk-incredible-returns-team-movie-before-mcu/