Hulk has been treated primarily like a supporting character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a long time. The character debuted in the MCU with Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk (2008), which had Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. Nearly 16 years have passed since we got a solo Hulk project from Marvel Studios. And it seems like we are never going to get one.
Actor Mark Ruffalo has revealed he may not get a solo Hulk film in the MCU. This comes after the rumours about the live-action adaption of the ‘World War Hulk’ (2007) comic book series surfaced on social media some time ago. His MCU debut took place through The Avengers (2012). Apart from the first Avengers flick, Ruffalo’s Hulk has appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity Way (2018), Captain Marvel’s post-credits scene (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). His last Marvel project was the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Disney+ series, which revolved around Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk, aka Jennifer Walters.
Despite being one of the most ignored characters in the MCU, Banner’s overall character arc looks impressive. From getting ticked through small-scale anger outbursts to becoming a peaceful creature, Hulk has indeed gone through a long journey.
However, it seems like we may never get a solo Hulk project starring Mark Ruffalo. Why? Well, how about Ruffalo’s age? He is 56 now and cannot play the character long. Another problem is the character’s distribution rights, which are still under Universal Pictures. In addition, we have been witnessing Hulk’s journey for a long time now. Tatiana Maslany has already taken over the baton from Mark Ruffalo in the She-Hulk series. Plus, we have Skaar (Hulk’s son), who appears during the final moments of the She-Hulk series. The upcoming MCU’s future Hulk projects are expected to focus more on She-Hulk or Skaar, instead of the OG Avenger Hulk. Even if Marvel Studios, somehow, greenlights the production of the World War Hulk storyline, it will be too late for the character. Stay tuned for more updates.