Marvel Rumor Teases Big Plans For Mark Ruffalo's Hulk
Marvel has big plans for the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), according to new rumors hinting at the character's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
On X (formerly Twitter), Hollywood insider @MyTimeToShineH responded to another scooper, @CanWeGetSomeToast, about reports Marvel has plans in place for Hulk following "Captain America: Brave New World." The upcoming Anthony Mackie-starring movie will feature multiple characters who first appeared in "The Incredible Hulk," including Thunderbolt Ross (Harrison Ford) and the Leader (Tim Blake Nelson). They wrote, "We are getting a solo Hulk movie, and Hulk will be in Kang Dynasty."
Right now, the Hulk's MCU future is unclear, as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hasn't confirmed what's coming next for the Jade Giant. However, Marvel has been slowly setting up storylines for the hero. In "She-Hulk," Ruffalo's Hulk helps mentor and train the titular hero (Tatiana Maslany) after she gains powers, and the show ends with the reveal that Hulk has a son, Skaar (Wil Deusner), loosely adapting some of Greg Pak and John Romita Jr.'s "World War Hulk" comic book, where the young hero was first introduced. With Skaar's arrival and "Captain America: Brave New World's" Hulk characters, Marvel appears ready to finally dive back into the Jade Giant's world, potentially setting up a possible solo movie.
Why hasn't there been a Hulk solo movie with Ruffalo?
The Hulk's incredibly complex movie rights have prevented the character from appearing in solo Marvel Studios films. Mark Ruffalo explained in an interview with Variety that Universal Pictures owns distribution rights to the character's standalone movies, which is why the hero hasn't gone solo since 2003's "The Incredible Hulk," having been relegated to being a supporting character in Marvel Cinematic Universe projects like "Thor: Ragnarok." "A standalone Hulk movie will never happen because Universal has the rights to the Hulk standalone movie,' Ruffalo said. "They don't know how to play nice with Marvel. And they don't want to make money."
While recent reports have circulated about Hulk's movie rights returning to Marvel, they haven't yet been confirmed by the studio. Meaning, if Marvel wants a Hulk solo film starring Ruffalo, it may still need to play nice with Universal. Considering the appetite from audiences to see a new project starring the Hulk and his potential importance leading up to the events of "Avengers: Kang Dynasty," where he may serve a key leadership role alongside a new generation of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, seeing the hero star in a solo flick is likely something Marvel and Disney are interested in. While there are most certainly obstacles to overcome in order to make a Hulk film a reality, if the rumors are true, Ruffalo's Hulk will finally get his much-deserved MCU spotlight.