Mark Ruffalo Ready For Biggest Hulk Solo Film Ever?
Is it finally on the way?
Ever since Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there have been rumors about a live-action project based on the 2007 line-wide comic book event World War Hulk. The lead-up to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has proven to be rich with fan speculation that World War Hulk is on the way; among other things citing the appearance of a ship that looks a lot like the Grandmaster’s (Jeff Goldblum) Commodore from 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Mark Ruffalo was asked about the possibility recently, and while he didn’t spill the proverbial beans, he did say whether or not he’s ready to finally get his own solo film.
Entertainment Tonight asked the Spotlight actor about the possibility during the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law launch event. While he shied away from confirming or denying the existence of a World War Hulk project, to the question of whether or not he was ready for his own Hulk film, Mark Ruffalo was unambiguous. “Anytime they want to do it, I’m here.” You can watch the clip below.
If Mark Ruffalo is about to show up in a World War Hulk film or series, it won’t be much like the source material though that isn’t a huge surprise. Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War for example were much different from the Marvel Comics events upon which they were based. No doubt the upcoming projects likewise based on past Marvel Comics events like the Secret Invasion and Armor Wars series stray far from the comics.
An MCU version of World War Hulk would necessarily have to be far from the comics because Mark Ruffalo’s version of the character does not have a similar relationship with the MCU’s heroes that his comic book counterpart does. World War Hulk is a revenge story, with the Hulk getting payback not just from the Illuminati, but from any and all of Marvel’s heroes who side with them. Shortly before Civil War erupted in the comics, the Illuminati banished the Hulk to Sakaar, where he leads a revolution and becomes the Green King. Not long after he becomes king the shuttle that sent him to Sakaar detonates, killing most of the world’s population including Hulk’s wife and queen Caiera, and Hulk wrongly believes it was the Illuminati who detonated the shuttle remotely. With an army of aliens at his back, the Hulk returns to Earth for vengeance. And while it’s Hulk who’s dominant for most of World War Hulk, when Bruce Banner does emerge, we learn that in this case he’s just as keen on revenge as his green alter-ego.
One theory about how a Mark Ruffalo project could be hinted at in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is with the Sakaaran ship that shows up in a recently released clip. Since we don’t know exactly how long the Hulk was active as the Grandmaster’s champion, it’s been speculated that the spaceship we see in the clip is there to inform Banner he has children he didn’t know about. In the comics we eventually learn that even though Caiera was still pregnant when she died, the sons she was pregnant with — Skaar and Hiro-Kala — somehow survive. It could be one or both of these brothers, some fans speculate, who will wage war on the Earth.
