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How Will The Hulk Fit Into Marvel’s Plans For Phase 2 and 3?

 

Note: This article may contain SPOILERS for The Avengers 2 and other upcoming Marvel franchises.

According to an exclusive report from Latino Review, fans of Hulk smashing puny gods like Loki have quite a bit to be excited about. Sources have indicated to them that The Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo) will be smashing and pulverizing everything under the sun in the Avengers 2, which will lead to a standalone Hulk film that follows the storyline of 2006’s “Planet Hulk,” an arc that saw Hulk launched into deep space, conquering a planet and subsequent plans to return to Earth for bloody, bloody vengeance in “World War Hulk.” Here’s the kicker – according to Latino Review’s mystery source, the plot of Avengers 3 will revolve around the “World War Hulk” storyline. How likely is this? It’s hard to say, but there seem to be several discrepancies with the theory.

 

– The report draws heavily from a quote from Marvel’s Kevin Feige, who told MTV: “I don’t think there’s a lot that we couldn’t do someday, as the cinematic universe continues to grow and expand and get as big as the comic book universe. ‘Planet Hulk’ is a cool story, ‘World War Hulk’ is a cool story. I think there’s pitfalls of continuity-overload, and mythology getting so dense that it almost collapses in on itself [with those cosmic projects]. It happens every few decades or so in the comics. Apart from that, I’d say everything is on the table.”

This quote shouldn’t necessarily be taken as a hard confirmation. Yes, “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” are cool stories, but that’s all he really says here. That being said, there’s no reason to rule out the potential for a “Planet Hulk” film down the line in Phase 2.

– Latino Review indicates that at the end of Avengers 2, Hulk will be sent into space by the Marvel Universe’s Illuminati, which consists of Tony Stark, Professor X, Namor, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Doctor Strange, and Black Bolt, leading to the “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” story lines.

While this was definitely the case in the comics, there has been no precedent for the Illuminati in the movie-verse. Mr. Fantastic is off the table, as Fox still owns the film rights to the Fantastic Four and X-Men, so freeing up those characters would take some serious finagling. Doctor Strange and Ant-Man have both been confirmed for Marvel’s Phase 3, so perhaps they may do some Illuminati roster reshuffling and swapping in Hank Pym for Reed Richards. Introducing viewers to Doctor Strange, Namor, Black Bolt, and the Inhumans and the other assorted Illuminati characters isn’t impossible, but it’s certainly a tall order. One possible way around the whole Illuminati issue is to have General Ross or perhaps SHIELD be the ones to send Hulk where no gamma-radiated rage monster has ever gone before.

For more clarity, here’s an excellent piece by Screenrant that shows you which studios own the film rights to which Marvel characters.

/Film’s Germain Lussier paints a pretty compelling picture of what it could be like:

“Picture this. The Avengers are fighting Thanos in The Avengers 2 along with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Hulk does something really really bad, maybe kills a major character, and after the battle, the Avengers vote for the Guardians to send Hulk away. End of Avengers 2, beginning of The Incredible Hulk 2 in space. In fact, if Planet Hulk turns into Incredible Hulk 2, World War Hulk could pretty easily be The Avengers 3. Hulk and his alien minions fight The Avengers on Earth.”

 

How much cooler would it be to have the Illuminati blast Hulk into space instead of General Ross? Truthfully, it may depend on the success of Marvel’s upcoming spacefaring story, Guardians of the Galaxy, but this is a case where we’re going to have to put on our X-Files hats and say, “I want to believe.” (Or, if you’re a cynical bastard, “There’s got to be a logical explanation for this.”)

Would you like to see “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” in Marvel’s Phase 2 and 3? Quemment below and let us know!

[HT: Latino Review]

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Comments

  1. Ryan says:

    Make a Planet Hulk Movie!

  2. Mark Norwood says:

    I’m sick and tired of you people who think you can put Hulk in a box and mold him the way you want..Hulk was a total ass kicker before he was marginalized by Hollywood and nerds everywhere.I am no fucking nerd. Please make Hulk Incredible again..

  3. JR Smith says:

    From the latest I have read a stand alone HULK will be based on Indestructible HULk…that there are no plans to go with planet hulk.

  4. Ed M says:

    I think the point of making movies out of comic book story lines is to let the writers come up with a story line that fits while using the framework of the story they are putting to film.

    That being said why not change the reason to something someone else said, like having him sent to space at the end by Thanos near the end of the fight. Planet Hulk/Incredible Hulk 2 would then follow that story line. Instead of WW Hulk in Avengers 3, why not have the Hulk return with his new allies and save the Avengers from an even bigger threat (like the Leader or Ultron).

  5. James McGill says:

    OK…I’m just going to let my geek flag fly here. You guys mentioned an article explaining who owns what property and I’m taking that into context along with the fact (or rumor) that stark tower was going to make a cameo in Amazing spider-man.

    Here it goes:
    This is doable but I don’t think they’re going to do it till after a couple avengers films and here’s why. While it’s true (per the article by screenrant that fox and sony each have what makes up one third of the entire marvel universe. Mutants, spiderman, fantastic four, and the supernatural part (blade and company). But I do believe that things might have changed since Screenrant wrote his article.

    Spider-man has been rebooted and the look and feel of the new film appears to be based in ultimate spiderman. All of the films in phase one also appear to be influenced by the ultimate line. then lets add three facts that i know:
    1. Disney owns Marvel which gives Marvel so much more leverage than before in negotiating new contracts with Fox and Sony.
    2. X-men: Days of future past is filming right now with actors from X-men 1-3 and first class. Many times in comics when something is changed in the past, the present gets changed as well. Isn’t that how they rebooted Star Trek?
    3. Sony has already said they are rebooting fantastic four. Also I thing the Blade story line could easily fit into the cinematic universe, no reboot needed.

    i think that Disney, fox and sony might be figuring a way for this cinematic universe to be all encompassing and at the same time be profitable for all parties concerned. If my suspicions are correct, Planet Hulk and World War Hulk could happen in ten years.

    OK, I’m putting my geek flag away now.
    type ya later nerdist.

  6. Vierton says:

    If they were to try this, I think it would work best to have the Avengers send Hulk into space. I agree that the way Hulk has been portrayed in the Avengers movie, this doesn’t make sense. But that is why you have Hulk loose complete control during Avengers 2 and scare them to the point of truely understanding how big of a threat he is. I would have this happen near the end of the film. The inevitable post credit scene would be used to show the Avengers (minus the Hulk) deciding that Earth is not safe with the Hulk on it. You start the beginning of Hulk 2 with banner trapped in a ship launching into space while playing a video message from the Avengers, telling him what they are doing. Banner freaks, hulks out and damages the ship causing it to vier off course and crash on a different planet than intended. That would cover why he comes back to Earth for vengance, because the one group of people that claimed to be his friends, are the ones that caused all of the events in Hulk 2 to happen.

  7. Rokku says:

    Hulk ending up lost in space at the end of Avengers 2 — maybe with everyone thinking he’s dead — and THAT leading into Planet Hulk would fit. I agree with the general sentiment that the Avengers intentionally sending Hulk away wouldn’t make sense as things have been established.

  8. Rafa says:

    Personally I think that while fighting Thanos Banner loses control and Tony sees this. At some point just before they final blow to Thanos he throws Hulk into space and the Avengers don’t go save Hulk. Hulk blames them for not getting the Hulk and wants revenge.

  9. Evan Johnson says:

    I think having Tony make the choice to send Hulk to space, knowing that he’s too dangerous to keep on earth would be an awesome and emotional moment in Avengers 2. Then having the Hulk come BACK and have Tony face his friend turned enemy? This already sounds better than the original story line.

  10. I would prefer General Ross to be the one to send Hulk into space.
    Having Tony Stark storming the offices of General Ross and exclaiming, “You have no idea what you’ve done!” Would be an awesome conclusion/cliff hanger for Avengers 2.

  11. I would prefer General Ross to be the one to send Hulk into space.

    Having Tony Stark storming the offices of General Ross and exclaiming, “You have no idea what you’ve done!” Would be an awesome conclusion/cliff hanger for Avengers 2.

  12. Eddie says:

    It would be a pretty emotional scene to see Tony have to send Bruce into space, considering how much they bonded in the first movie

  13. +AdamB. says:

    I would see “Planet Hulk” as a movie, within the universe the movies have built. Especially if he gets there by mistake instead of Tony sending him there (which in the movie universe so far, would make NO sense). I don’t feel the same way about a “World War Hulk” movie.
    Logistically, you would have to have most of the hero’s from the movie fight him, which would be a tall order for a “hulk” movie. Secondly, Avengers was the first movie that really turned him into a “hero” and a team member. To tear that down so soon and make him a villain, or at the very least an even MORE anti-hero? I wouldn’t be jazzed about that.