While there are rumors of a standalone Hulk movie, Mark Ruffalo reveals that Marvel told him not to comment on the Hulk situation involving movies and the rights owned by Universal Pictures.
Since Universal has owned the rights to distribute Hulk movies, Disney and Marvel Studios haven’t released a solo flick. Universal released the Hulk movie back in in 2003 starring Eric Bana, and then in 2008 with Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton.
Disney bought Marvel a year later in 2009 and only included Hulk in other movies, never his own. That’s why you will note the Hulk is never the main character, such as Thor: Ragnarok adapting the “Planet Hulk” story from the comics, but the movie definitely isn’t a solo Hulk flick or a faithful adaptation.
Does Universal still own the Hulk rights?
Variety did report back in June that the rights to the Incredible Hulk movie reverted to Disney, but I think that is only for the movie itself. It sounds like Universal might still own distribution rights to any future Hulk films (has Feige ever commented?).
Also at play is that Disney and Universal Pictures’ parent company NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast and rumored to buy Warner Bros. Discovery) recently closed the deal over the Hulu streaming service, where Disney just paid NBCUniversal billions of dollars.
So while attending the premiere of Poor Things, CB.com asked Mark Ruffalo if the Disney x NBCUniversal deal for Hulu has changed anything regarding a Hulk movie.
Ruffalo reveals that Marvel told him not to comment on the situation but he says he has been thinking about a potential solo film a lot:
“Not that I know of,” Ruffalo said when asked if the Disney x NBCUniversal deal for Hulu has changed anything regarding a Hulk movie. “I’ve been asked not to comment on it, that specifically. Hopefully one day though they’ll work it out. I think it could be really cool and I’ve been putting a lot into what it could be to be cool, but I don’t know yet.”
World War Hulk rumored for MCU
Rumors do offer more from the Hulk in the MCU including talk of a potential World War Hulk film, but again, if that is going to happen, either the rights have already or would have to revert to Disney — or Disney would have to let Universal distribute the movie.
Another possibility, similar to what they did with Thor: Ragnarok, is to have another character as the lead and in part adapt the “World War Hulk” storyline from the comics.
Rumors also offer Savage Hulk is returning to the MCU and even a potential Hulk vs Wolverine movie.
It’s also said the upcoming Captain America 4 movie is about Hulks and features Harrison Ford as the Red Hulk.
