Earlier this month, word broke that Mark Ruffalo would reprise his role as Bruce Banner, a.k.a. The Hulk, in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. The story was first reported by JoBlo.com’s Paul Shirey, who caught the news in the wake of New York Comic Con. Well, Hulk fans, you can smash the word “rumor” because now that news has been confirmed!

Ruffalo is said to be closing in on a deal to appear in Thor: Ragnarok, but the extent of his role in the film isn’t clear. Some rumors suggest that Thor and Hulk will team up on a “cosmic road trip” to face an unspecified threat. This will be Ruffalo’s fourth appearance as Banner/Hulk after the first two Avengers movies and a brief cameo in Iron Man 3.

When last seen at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk was on an air ship heading to parts unknown. According to the rumor site Heroic Hollywood, Banner will resurface on “a planet that is neither Earth nor Asgard.” Could this mean we’ll see Sakaar and this will be a possible tie-in to the long-rumored “Planet Hulk” storyline?

As the third Thor film gears up for the end of days, it continues to lock down key players. What We Do in the Shadows writer-director Taika Waititi is slated to direct. Additionally, there are rumors that Waititi was specifically chosen in order to give the third Thor movie a lighter, more comedic touch after the script by Christopher Yost was said to be the darkest story to come out of the MCU. Given that Ragnarok is the twilight of the Norse Gods, the title of the movie certainly implies an apocalyptic outcome for Thor and his fellow Asgardians.

Aside from the Hulk’s appearance, all we know for certain about Thor: Ragnarok is that Chris Hemsworth will be back for his fifth appearance as the title character, and Jaimie Alexander will reprise her role as Lady Sif. It’s also a pretty safe bet that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki will return because Thor: The Dark World ended with his character secretly ruling Asgard in the guise of Odin (Anthony Hopkins). However, Hiddleston has been somewhat cagey about his role in the third Thor movie during his recent press tour for Crimson Peak.

Thor: Ragnarok will be released on July 28, 2017.

Marvel fans, are you excited about the potential of Thor and Hulk cosmic road trip? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

—

HT: Deadline

Image Credit: Marvel Studios

—

Want even more Marvel news? Guardians of the Galaxy star Vin Diesel offered some new clues about the status of the Inhumans movie.