The MCU has only ever given the Hulk a single solo film, and while movie rights are certainly a reason for this, there are much bigger problems with placing the character center stage. The Marvel Cinematic Universe chose to introduce the Hulk at a very early stage in its conception, with Edward Norton in the lead role of 2008’s The Avengers, who has since appeared as Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk in a further 8 MCU projects to date.
The Hulk has long been one of Marvel’s most popular properties. The character first appeared in the 1962 comic, The Incredible Hulk, and has since played an important role in popular storylines such as Hulk. Most recently, a Hulk-adjacent MCU Disney+ show arrived in the form of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, about Bruce Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters. Bruce himself has yet to appear in a solo film since 2008 though.
However, despite the character’s continuing popularity, the MCU has only made one attempt to tell his story away from the wider cinematic universe. Much like Marvel’s deal with Sony for each Spider-Man film, the studio is in a similar position with the Hulk since Universal owns the character’s distribution rights. This means that Universal gets the final say on releasing any standalone Hulk movie project outside multi-character films. This undoubtedly poses a problem for Marvel studios, but it is not to say that the contractual rights are their biggest reason for not providing the character with another solo film. From a troubled backstory to his continued role as a ing character, the Hulk’s lack of a sequel ultimately comes down to how difficult he is to adapt to the big screen.
Hulk's Movie Rights Issues Explained
By financing and distributing 2003’s Hulk, the rights to the Hulk character went to Universal. This slightly changed in 2008, when, after the studio was unable to get a Hulk sequel into production within the of their contract, the production rights reverted to Marvel Studios, who then released The Incredible Hulk (largely considered the biggest MCU disappointment). The distribution rights, however, are still owned by Universal, granting the studio the right to choose how many theaters a future solo film would play in, when it would be released, and how to handle its marketing.
Marvel Studios have demonstrated its ability to produce solo films under a character’s co-ownership in the past. Starting with Universal’s Hulk distribution rights provided he stays away from the lead role.
Adapting Hulk In Movies Has Two Possibilities
Away from co-ownership issues, the MCU’s chances of releasing another Hulk solo film are limited by how difficult the character is to convincingly adapt. Stemming from the central dichotomy between Dr. Banner and the Hulk and the subsequent traumas that come with this contrast, the studio is faced with two possibilities when it comes to developing an original narrative for the character. Either the franchise continues its light-hearted approach to its heroes and develops a buddy cop scenario much like Venom, or the sequel would have to take a contrary, darker approach and attempt to delve into the psyche of a character seemingly bent on his impossible destruction.
The darker option for a solo film here poses the greatest potential for the Hulk to develop as a character. This was hinted at in The Avengers, with Banner’s confession that he had attempted to take his own life coming as something of a defining moment in his character’s introduction. If the MCU attempts to make another solo film for the Hulk, this exploration of the character’s psyche would mark a much bleaker yet highly compelling turn for a franchise that has developed to become reliant on light-hearted quips and humor.
The alternative option positions the Hulk's character as out-and-out comic relief. This idea was briefly toyed around with in Hulk could work as a character when his two alters are positioned in bickering contention.
Hulk Is The MCU’s Doomed ing Character
These two approaches are nonetheless limiting for a character seeking an MCU solo feature, and the Hulk’s continued appearances in ing roles reduce the chances of his return to a lead any time soon. While a darker take on the character would undoubtedly be interesting, it is difficult to imagine that the franchise would make such a vast departure after the Hulk has developed to such an extent. character arc for the Hulk and highlighted his comedic potential in the process.
The changes made to the Hulk in his MCU ing roles have proven productive, and the character remains one of the franchise’s most popular properties. The fact that this growth has come in multi-character features and not from a solo film demonstrates that the franchise can explore its characters in smaller-scale events without needlessly collaborating with other studios. Marvel has established the Hulk as a ing character, and unless his character arc drastically changes, he will likely stay in this position for the foreseeable future.
Why Hulk Works In The MCU But Not His Own Movies
The comedic tone that the MCU has established means that the Hulk currently operates in an environment that betrays his fundamental characteristics. Rather than delving into Banner’s deep-rooted rage, as was explored in the World War Hulk storyline, or exposing the fact that the immortal being will be the last thing left alive on Earth (as seen in the comic book Hulk: The End) the MCU’s Hulk has byed these expectations by remaining out of the spotlight as a co-star. Such an approach would therefore appear jarring if the character were suddenly placed at the forefront of a narrative, highlighting how the MCU has ignored some of the character’s foundations since his recasting in 2012.
She-Hulk Gives Us A Healed Hulk – But He's Still A Side Character
The MCU She-Hulk series, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, debuted on Disney+ in 2022. In both the comics and MCU, She-Hulk is Bruce Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters (played by Tatiana Maslany). Jennifer is a lawyer, and as well as having a very different personality to Bruce, She-Hulk and Hulk's power levels are different, too. As is expected, Bruce Banner (as Smart Hulk, played again by Mark Ruffalo) is central to She-Hulk's origin story, and he features in her series as would naturally be expected. However, he still occupies a side character role. Bruce featured heavily in Episode 1 of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. At the end of the episode, he and Jen parted ways, though, and series showrunner Jessica Gao revealed in Variety that this episode was originally supposed to be the 8th in the show.
Moving Jen's origin to the Pilot was a decision made to make it easier for audiences to get to know Jen as a character. However, its original placement as episode 8 suggests that Bruce might not have a key part in the rest of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. His purpose seems to be giving Jen her powers and standing in as a narrative device to show viewers that She-Hulk and The Hulk are different characters despite both being big, green, and phenomenally strong. The series has yet to conclude, so it might be that the She-Hulk Disney+ series provides more moments for Hulk to experience character growth worthy of a solo movie. Even if it doesn't, it's still refreshing to see that the Hulk has a continued presence in the MCU.
