The MCU Can Still Do World War Hulk Even Without A Solo Hulk Movie

Despite Mark Ruffalo’s recent comments, Marvel Studios can still adapt the highly-anticipated World War Hulk storyline in the future of the MCU. Mark Ruffalo has portrayed Bruce Banner’s Hulk, since 2012’s The Avengers, though Edward Norton portrayed the character in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, the only solo Hulk movie in the MCU. Banner has been through some huge changes during his MCU career, which have culminated in him combining the brains and the brawn into Smart Hulk. However, many have been calling for him to return to his uncontrollable form in a heavily-teased World War Hulk project in the MCU.

Even though audiences have been vocal about wanting to see Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk storyline from 2007 adapted into live-action, the fact that the Hulk’s distribution rights still reside with Universal Pictures makes this difficult. In fact, Mark Ruffalo recently revealed that Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige told him that he’d never get a standalone Hulk movie in the MCU (via YouTube). While this may dash hopes for a potential World War Hulk project, there is still an array of opportunities for Marvel Studios to integrate this intense and game-changing storyline into the MCU outside a solo Hulk movie.

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World War Hulk Could Be A Future Avengers Crossover Movie

Perhaps the most obvious choice for adapting World War Hulk into the live-action MCU would be to make it into the subject of an Avengers crossover movie in the MCU’s Phase 7 or beyond. The Avengers have come together to face several threats in the MCU, including Loki, Ultron, Baron Zemo and the Mad Titan Thanos, but Marvel Studios developing a project such as “Avengers: World War Hulk” would see them battle one of their own. This would provide the opportunity to adapt the full magnitude of Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk, which saw the Hulk battle many notable heroes.

A new team of Avengers is expected to form in Avengers 5, and were initially thought to be battling Kang the Conqueror, though it’s unclear whether this will still be the case after Jonathan Majors’ recent firing from Marvel Studios. While unlikely, it’s possible that Avengers 5 could become a World War Hulk-centric project, following on from recent teases and hints towards the popular storyline unfolding in the MCU’s future. Adapting World War Hulk into an Avengers-level event would allow many prominent MCU heroes to be involved, with the Hulk potentially becoming one of the Avengers’ most formidable opponents yet.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Season 2 Could Explore World War Hulk

Mark Ruffalo’s most recent appearance in the MCU saw him portray Bruce Banner’s Smart Hulk opposite his cousin, Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters, in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+. Banner primarily appeared in She-Hulk’s premiere episode, which marked Walters’ transformation into She-Hulk after being exposed to her cousin’s blood. However, She-Hulk also provided the MCU’s clearest tease towards World War Hulk, as Skaar made his MCU debut in the finale. Skaar originally appeared in Marvel Comics for the first time during the World War Hulk event, so this was an obvious pointer to the story unfolding in the MCU.

Skaar’s debut in She-Hulk may have hinted at a potential season 2 exploring World War Hulk. Unfortunately, Tatiana Maslany recently noted that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law season 2 likely won’t be developed due to budgetary reasons, meaning this is unlikely, and it will be more possible for She-Hulk to appear in bigger-name projects, rather than a larger event happening in her own series. This is especially true after Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recent comments that Marvel Studios will focus more on sequels and popular franchises, though She-Hulk will likely have a role in a future World War Hulk adaptation nonetheless.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Comedy

Action

Adventure

Release Date

August 17, 2022

Showrunner

Jessica Gao

Directors

Kat Coiro

Captain America: Brave New World Could Include More World War Hulk Teases

Even though Anthony Mackie’s first solo MCU feature film as Captain America may seem like an unusual place for Marvel Studios to explore the World War Hulk storyline, Captain America: Brave New World’s cast features many returning Hulk-related characters. Thaddeus Ross, Samuel Sterns, a.k.a. the Leader, and Betty Ross are all returning after making their MCU debuts in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, so it’s likely that Brave New World will investigate Bruce Banner’s Hulk in some way, shape or form. This means that Brave New World may be primed to more-directly tease the World War Hulk narrative in the MCU.

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Popular theories suggest that Thaddeus Ross – recast for Harrison Ford following William Hurt’s tragic passing – may transform into the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. This would introduce yet another dangerous Hulk character to the MCU for Bruce Banner to take on in the future, potentially leading to him reverting to his previous, raging self. It’s very unlikely that Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk will be adapted directly into Brave New World, but the heavily-rumored project can still be hinted at in the upcoming Phase 5 movie, potentially setting up storylines in Phases 6 or 7.

Captain America: Brave New World

Fantasy

Adventure

Action

Release Date

February 14, 2025

Writers

Dalan Musson , Malcolm Spellman

Studio(s)

Marvel Studios

The Illuminati Could Be The Focus Of An MCU World War Hulk Movie

In Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk, the Illuminati team have a major role to play, as they choose to banish the Hulk to Sakaar in the first place, instigating the entire narrative of World War Hulk. This means that their potential MCU debut may be pivotal in setting up a live-action World War Hulk adaptation. A version of the Illuminati from Earth-838 was introduced in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, greeting Strange during his travels, which may prompt the Master of the Mystic Arts to form his own version of the team in the MCU’s main continuity.

Doctor Strange is currently off trying to thwart an incursion with Clea, but he will likely return to play a major role in the rest of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, and this could see him piece together an Illuminati team. It’s possible that Marvel Studios may use the Illuminati to somewhat-replace the Avengers following 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, so World War Hulk could become the basis for an Illuminati-centric project in Phase 7 or beyond. This would allow the MCU’s World War Hulk to stay comic-accurate, while also allowing a potentially-huge number of established heroes to appear in the project.

World War Hulk’s Storyline Could Span Several Projects in Phase 7

While it is certainly possible that Marvel Studios will adapt Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk into one epic project, or perhaps a massive two-parter along the lines of Infinity War and Endgame, there’s also a chance that the World War Hulk storyline could span a number of solo movies. World War Hulk is one of Marvel Comics’ biggest and most world-changing narratives, so it deserves to be told in detail. Featuring elements of the story in several solo movies based on other superheroes would allow World War Hulk to develop gradually and organically, and this process may have already begun.

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2017’s Thor: Ragnarok used elements of Marvel Comics’ Planet Hulk storyline, which saw the Hulk get banished from Earth and ending up on Sakaar, leading into World War Hulk, where he returned to Earth to wreak havoc following his wife’s death. The fact that Ragnarok already introduced elements of World War Hulk’s storyline, and that subsequent MCU projects have continued to tease the story, means that Phase 7 could feature many projects that explore the Hulk’s lengthy rampage. This could impact Doctor Strange, Thor, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and more, making World War Hulk the MCU’s biggest event ever.