Over the last 15 years, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas continued to grow and expand in all sorts of new directions, whether that be with the introduction of new characters, the implementation of the multiverse, or even through the occasional use of time travel. Throughout almost all of this, there have been a handful of core heroes who have been at the center of it all. While Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark often gets the most attention, as 2008’sIron Manwas the film that started it all, another essential building block of the MCU has been the character of Bruce Banner / The Hulk, who was introduced that same year inThe Incredible Hulk.
While 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkis often one of the most forgotten MCU projects, specifically because the lead role was recast from Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo after the release of that movie, it has become increasingly integrated into the wider MCU over the last few years. Numerous supporting characters from that film, such as William Hurt’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Tim Roth’s Abomination, have returned to the franchise in the years since. This trend will continue in the upcomingCaptain America: Brave New World, as Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross and Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns are set to return, in addition to the debut of Harrison Ford in the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross, who could possibly (finally)transform into the Red Hulk.
TheHulkportion of the MCU has also been expanded through the character’s appearance in numerous other projects, likeThor: Ragnarokand theAvengersfilms, as well as the Disney+She-Hulkseries in 2022. With all this in mind, it’s somewhat perplexing why there has never been a sequel toThe Incredible Hulk. Ruffalo has been playing the role for over a decade now, and he has never received his own standalone movie. While there are specific reasons for the lack of a newHulkmovie, the MCU has reached a point where it really doesn’t need a soloHulkfilm. Here’s why:
Why Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Hasn’t Received His Own Movie
The reason that Ruffalo has never received a standalone movie as the Hulk is fairly straightforward. It’s not Marvel Studios' lack of desire to make one, but rather there are legal reasons that prohibit them from doing so. While Disney and Marvel Studios own the film rights to the character of the Hulk, they do not own the distribution rights. Those belong to Universal Pictures, the studio produced 2003’sHulkwith Ang Lee and Eric Bana before going on to partner with Marvel Studios as the distributor for 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkbefore Disney purchased Marvel Studios outright several years later.
The distribution rights for any films based on the Hulkhave been held by Universalfor a long while, as the studio first picked them up back in the ‘90s. In that time, they have only produced 2003’sHulkand 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk, but they still maintain the rights to distribute any new standaloneHulkmovie. Because Universal owns this aspect of the character, any newHulkmovie produced by Marvel Studios would legally have to be distributed by Universal, not Disney. For obvious reasons, Disney isn’t interested in that. The studio would rather prioritize producing and distributing their own stories without the necessity of cooperating with another rival studio to do so. Kevin Feige, the team at Marvel Studios, and the producers at Disney, however, found a workaround for this problem.
Related:MCU: Why Did Mark Ruffalo Replace Edward Norton as The Hulk?
The Incredible Hulk’s Involvement in the MCU So Far
Instead of producing a new standaloneHulkmovie, Marvel Studios and Disney have instead opted to tell that character’s story through other ensemble and team-up films. This is why Ruffalo’s Hulk has had such a major presence in so many other Marvel films. His story is specifically highlighted and given extra weight in the first twoAvengersmovies, as he struggles to find the balance between the two opposing sides of himself. Then, when the MCU set up an adaptation of the famousPlanet Hulkcomic at the end ofAvengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel Studios took the opportunity to merge that story into the developingThor: Ragnarokfilm.
Putting the Hulk inThor: Ragnarokended up being a stroke of genius from Marvel Studios. This decision allowed Marvel to adapt one of the Hulk’s most famous comic-book stories without actually developing it as a standalone film with Universal. Additionally, it also meant that the studio could sell the film to audiences as a major crossover team-up movie featuring two of the franchise’s most popular characters. In the hands of director Taika Waititi, the Hulk also received some of his most crucial character development in the franchise so far, as the evolving dynamic between Bruce Banner and the Hulk took a new and refreshing direction.
AfterThor: Ragnarok, this new direction for the Hulk continued todevelop throughAvengers: Infinity Warbefore the character reached the end of this specific arc inAvengers: Endgame, which showed Banner and the Hulk finally at peace and coexisting together as a new version of the character dubbed “Smart Hulk.” It has been this new iteration of the character, inspired by Professor Hulk from the comics, that has continued to pop up throughout the MCU since then, primarily inShang-ChiandShe-Hulk. As of now, it’s unknown where he will show up next, though the most likely options seem to be either inCaptain America: Brave New Worldor in the upcomingAvengers: Kang Dynasty.
Related:Mark Ruffalo Told Not To Comment on Standalone Hulk Movie: “One Day, Though, They’ll Work It Out.”
The Current State of the MCU
It’s no secret that the MCU is not the same powerhouse franchise that it was five years ago. The series has continuously struggled to find solid footing afterAvengers: Endgame. While it has produced several undeniable hits, such asDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it has also experienced some of the biggest failures of its extended history, ranging fromEternalstoAnt-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaandThe Marvels.There are a lot of reasons thatthe MCU’s declinecan be attributed to, such as the overwhelming amount of content being produced or the general lack of direction and compelling stories, but the franchise is going to need to do a lot of work to regain the attention of much of the audience that it has lost. A newHulkfilm starring Ruffalo is not going to be the movie to fix everything.
This is largely because the Hulk’s story feels like it has reached its end in the MCU already, and the character has been resigned to a supporting role that is helping to usher in a new generation of heroes. Through his appearances inShe-HulkandShang-Chi, it’s clear that the Hulk has taken on a key leadership role in the Avengers, and he is actively bringing new heroes into the fold. This approach is working for the character, and it allows Marvel to use him as an assist for the new characters they are attempting to establish. But, to give him his own standalone story at this point simply wouldn’t be as exciting as it would’ve been a decade ago.
If Marvel were to reach some kind of deal with Universal that would allow them to produce aHulkmovie, it seems unlikely that this new movie would be the compelling new story that the MCU needs right now. A large part of what has made the Hulk such a strong character in the past is the conflict between Banner’s humanity and the Hulk’s uncontrollable rage. Through quality story and character growth, the MCU’s Hulk has overcome that conflict. That’s not a bad thing; it’s the natural result of the character’s progression and the work Marvel Studios has done to develop him in other projects.
While that change has certainly had its benefits in the wider MCU, it does take away some of the excitement that would come with a newHulkmovie. Frankly, a movie about the current “Smart Hulk” version of the character in the MCU just wouldn’t be that interesting. He works really well as a supporting character, but not necessarily as a lead that would compel general audiences to go out to a theater to see his story.
