Even in a world where accurate information is instantaneously available, unfounded rumors are able to persist. I should say
especially in this kind of world, because in periods of slow news cycles and anticipation-filled waiting, it seems that fans are able to get ahold of false information more easily and cling to it like it were a Linus’ blanket of faith in the future.
Everybody wants a stand-alone Hulk movie. Everyone. Even Mark Ruffalo. Even Kevin Feige. There will be another Hulk movie. When it will be and what it might be about we can continue to speculate on, but can we please try to agree that it isn’t going to be anytime soon and pestering the people that are capable of making it happen will just poison the property to the point that they’ll want to continue to put off making it happen.
Just recently, Joss Whedon not only completely debunked the Planet Hulk movie idea, he commented again to emphasize that he hasn’t even read the Planet Hulk story. It’s silly that Joss Whedon needs to continue to answer questions on the subject, but it’s even sillier that some people have called his remarks an attempt to cover up the truth.
In an attempt to appeal to logic and reason, let’s take a look at a few facts that can hopefully put most of the rumors to rest for at least the time being.
There will not be a stand-alone Hulk movie until after Avengers 2. Period. This has been stated, confirmed and double-confirmed. It doesn’t matter how many fans write letters or storm whatever message boards or do whatever crazy kids do nowadays, anyone that hints we may see a live-action Hulk film before Avengers 2 is wrong, and if they’re wrong about something so simple anything else they have to offer on the subject is probably wrong, too.
There has already been a Planet Hulk movie. It was animated, direct-to-video and fairly well-received. Disney tried a live-action version of it called John Carter and it didn’t do very well. Neither Disney or Marvel need to try and reconquer that particular mountain for at least a few years. It would be a huge gamble that they have no reason to take when everything is going so smoothly.
A Planet Hulk movie makes absolutely no sense. Right now, Bruce Banner is an MCU hero. Nobody in their right mind would want to send the guy to another planet just to get rid of him. The way the story has been laid out so far, there has to be a whole film of set-up just to get the world scared enough of him to force S.H.I.E.L.D. to make a move like that. Hulk is the single baddest soldier on our side and the MCU needs to keep him around until they get a big enough stable built. “We have a Hulk” doesn’t sound nearly as threatening when you don’t, in fact, have a Hulk.
Hulk is too powerful. Joss Whedon’s remark about Hulk being a balancing act missed the mark for me a little. The man vs. monster story is only part of the Hulk narrative, so it’s plausible that a whole string of movies could be made where that struggle isn’t even germane to the plot. The balancing act Marvel has to play with Hulk at the moment is in terms of sheer power. Hulk is a game-changing weapon of mass destruction that can wipe the floor with almost anyone. Coming off The Avengers, he’s nigh indestructible. When Marvel decides to give him his own movie, they’ll have to make him destructible again or it won’t be interesting. They need more bodies before they can let that happen.
Hulk is a cultural icon. There’s no need for a Hulk movie because the green guy isn’t going anywhere. He deserves a rest while some of the other heroes running around take their shot at paying their dues. The character has been animated and on television for almost 50 years. He carried a classic television show for five seasons and three films. He’s appeared in two stand-alone films in the last ten years and featured in the number three grossing film of all time. Finally, he’s starred or featured in four animated films in less than ten years. Seriously, doesn’t the MCU Hulk deserve a bit of a break just to make up for all the heavy lifting he’s done elsewhere?
Hulk deserves a great movie. Right now, fitting a Hulk story into the schedule would be capitalizing on the success of the character and not capitalizing on the success of the narrative. While Marvel would probably prefer to be making a Fantastic Four film rather than the Guardians of the Galaxy movie currently in production, they didn’t balk at telling that part of the story because they didn’t have the characters they wanted. Marvel has plenty of characters and they’re trying to use more of them, not less of them. Guardians of the Galaxy may not be as popular as Hulk, but even if it doesn’t do great it will fill a niche in the MCU, expanding the working universe in a way recycling yet another character won’t. We’re already getting Iron Man, Thor and Cap sequels. Do we really need another Hulk right away? Imagine if DC didn’t do anything but reuse the same one or two characters over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.
There will be another Hulk movie. It may be a Phase Three Planet Hulk movie instigated by The Avengers firing Hulk into space with the intention of attacking aliens but accidentally landing on Sakaar instead; it could be between Avengers 3 and Avengers 4 as a way to bring about the Superhuman Registration Act so Avengers 4 can focus on Civil War (my prediction); or it could be after Avengers 11 tanks and they finally turn to a Hulk film as a Hail Mary pass. Regardless, we will be told about it early, loud and with much excitement, negating any need for speculation as to an estimated ETA.
Until then, there is no reason to consider any Hulk related speculation “news.” There is no reason to persist in spreading a rumor to the point that someone need clarify that by saying something was nonsense he meant that the thing in question was, in fact, nonsense. We really don’t need to keep saying “I know you have all this amazing stuff on your plate and you’re all working as hard as possible to keep the momentum going and create this amazing vision, but what about the green guy?” Everyone gets it – Hulk is cool.
You’ll get your Hulk movie. You won’t get it any time soon. Until you do, let’s talk about something else. Heard anything interesting about Ant-Man? How about Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Luke Cage, aka Jessica Jones, Dazzler, Vision, Falcon, Nighthawk, S.H.I.E.L.D., Power Pack, Iron Fist, Cable or anything else that is in some form of development?
Maybe Hulk will show up in one of those.