Should Hulk Get Another Solo? What would it be about?

[KangConquers]

I sadly feel like Marvel missed a big opportunity with Hulk a few years ago. After Avengers 1, the character was white hot and a solo outing seemed to have Billion with a "B" written all over it.

Truth be told, Disney bought the distribution rights for Avengers from Paramount for $100 M. After Avengers 1's $1.52 B performance, maybe Disney looked into purchasing rights back to distribute Namor and The Hulk. If Universal came to the table with a similar asking price, Disney might not have seen the profit margin in a $200 M Hulk film, with an $80 M advertising budget and an additional $100 M buy out tacked on.

 

[Micromind]

I feel bad for Ruffalo, he deserved to star in a solo Hulk movie.

 

[CoherentChaos]

I have to wonder, what would the MCU be like if we DID get a Hulk movie in Phase 2? How would it have affected the greater universe, if at all? (I mean, if it were Gamma World or something)

Plus maybe then his characterization would have been furthered by AoU and maybe he would have a better role.

*shrug*

One can dream.

 

[Mike5575]

I have to wonder, what would the MCU be like if we DID get a Hulk movie in Phase 2? How would it have affected the greater universe, if at all? (I mean, if it were Gamma World or something)

Plus maybe then his characterization would have been furthered by AoU and maybe he would have a better role.

*shrug*

One can dream.

Had a Gamma World Hulk movie been made at the beginning of phase 2, Civil War and the SHRA probably wold have come a lot sooner.

 

[dax]

If the Incredible Hulk gets another solo film, then they should pit him against the Red Hulk since they're already bringing the Red Hulk into Captain America: Civil War.

 

[CoherentChaos]

Not necessarily.

Hurt could have meant anything by saying Ross will experience a change. It's likely a character arc thing. The man has been denied his hunt for Hulk for what, 8 years (MCU more or less runs in real time, and TIH was in 2008 and CW is next year, so do the math)? Maybe his raging obsession with the Hulk will have died down and he'll be taking responsibility for more important things. I doubt he'd get himself blasted with radiation if there's no Hulk around for him to have an aneurism over.

And RDJ claiming Mark Ruffalo will be in Civil War probably doesn't confirm any big role for Bruce. My bet is a cameo, or post credits stinger. Bruce would change the dynamics of the conflict too much and we haven't seen Ruffalo on set (right?) at all. If he had a larger part, he would have known about it day 1 and would have been spotted at least once by now.

 

[<(o_o)>]

Put Hulk in an Ant-Man sequel, let Hulk & Giant-Man have a couple of battles & then they team up at the end to take on Leader & Abomination.

 

[Hypestyle]

The Hulk should fight Madman and another Hulk foe.

 

[Mike5575]

If the Incredible Hulk gets another solo film, then they should pit him against the Red Hulk since they're already bringing the Red Hulk into Captain America: Civil War.

Marvel is bringing in General Ross. The only thing said about Ross is that you should expect a change. This is most likely due to everything that went wrong with him in the Incredible Hulk.

 

[CoherentChaos]

Personally I'd love to see the U-Foes. They'd mix up the challenge quite a bit, especially since two of them aren't even really hittable.

I have a scene in mind that I think would be a great use of the thunderclap.

~

Vector (who can create intense kinetic blasts) first demonstrates a beam powerful enough to disintegrate everything caught in its path.

Then at some point in the final battle, Vector charges up another one of these beams. Hulk's not afraid but maybe he has people to protect. There's no time to grab them and leap out, so Hulk gets an idea that just may be crazy enough to work. He makes sure there's decent distance from him and the others, and he makes sure he's dead center of where Vector's aiming.

As the beam rapidly approaches him, he spreads out his arms and claps just as the beam reaches him. In a brief slow motion shot, we see the shockwave pushing back the death beam, partly dispersing it, and then redirects the focus of the beam back at Vector. Maybe a brief "OH SHIII" from Vector, then back to normal speed, we see him get wiped out by the beam, with Hulk standing smugly and triumphantly.

 

[Spitfire]

Not necessarily.

Hurt could have meant anything by saying Ross will experience a change. It's likely a character arc thing. The man has been denied his hunt for Hulk for what, 8 years (MCU more or less runs in real time, and TIH was in 2008 and CW is next year, so do the math)? Maybe his raging obsession with the Hulk will have died down and he'll be taking responsibility for more important things. I doubt he'd get himself blasted with radiation if there's no Hulk around for him to have an aneurism over.

And RDJ claiming Mark Ruffalo will be in Civil War probably doesn't confirm any big role for Bruce. My bet is a cameo, or post credits stinger. Bruce would change the dynamics of the conflict too much and we haven't seen Ruffalo on set (right?) at all. If he had a larger part, he would have known about it day 1 and would have been spotted at least once by now.

Didn't Hurt say that Ross will be more 'modern' and won't have the large ego we saw in TIH? I do wonder if a change in his character will be explained by something happening to Betty - providing motivation for changing Ross' character and to justify the stupid Brutasha story. Ross is an interesting character on his own, and introducing the Red Hulk isn't necessary.

I don't think Ruffalo will appear at all in CW. If he was planned to appear then Marvel would want it kept secret (they kept his name off the cast list) and wouldn't be happy with Ruffalo for leaking this information. I think he's teasing.

 

[MbJ]

I do wonder if a change in his character will be explained by something happening to Betty - providing motivation for changing Ross' character and to justify the stupid Brutasha story.

They really don't need to "justify" it since I'd reckon a large portion of the audience doesn't even remember Betty. She appeared in one movie that until Civil War had more or less been ignored by the subsequent canon.

Anyway as to the point about Red Hulk, even if he DID appear in Civil War (and I'm doubtful he will), that really isn't the basis of a good Hulk movie. It's the exact same premise as the last one (General Ross pursues Bruce; Hulk fights Evil Hulk) except now Ross is the Evil Hulk.

 

[CoherentChaos]

They really don't need to "justify" it since I'd reckon a large portion of the audience doesn't even remember Betty. She appeared in one movie that until Civil War had more or less been ignored by the subsequent canon.

Anyway as to the point about Red Hulk, even if he DID appear in Civil War (and I'm doubtful he will), that really isn't the basis of a good Hulk movie. It's the exact same premise as the last one (General Ross pursues Bruce; Hulk fights Evil Hulk) except now Ross is the Evil Hulk.

Thank you for saying it

Plus I'd be pissed if Betty's next/only contribution to Bruce's story from here on out was to be fridged for MAN PAIN. It's incredibly lazy storytelling.

 

[Spitfire]

They really don't need to "justify" it since I'd reckon a large portion of the audience doesn't even remember Betty. She appeared in one movie that until Civil War had more or less been ignored by the subsequent canon.

Betty has appeared in the same movies as General Ross and was equally important in both. You can't really argue that one is more important than the other based on the movies they have appeared in. I don't think the GA care much for Ross either, its us comic readers who are happy to see him return.

If Ross can be ignored and then re-introduced then so can Betty. I have seen a lot of comments on message boards and social media asking why Betty wasn't even mentioned in AoU. The problem is that Whedon has put a significant barrier in the way with that stupid romance in AoU.

 

[MbJ]

The problem is that Whedon has put a significant barrier in the way with that stupid romance in AoU.

Again, I really don't see it. Betty was already more or less ignored and forgotten by the less of the MCU. The romance didn't do anything to keep Betty out of the MCU since she was more or less already out of it.

Betty has appeared in the same movies as General Ross and was equally important in both. You can't really argue that one is more important than the other based on the movies they have appeared in. I don't think the GA care much for Ross either, its us comic readers who are happy to see him return.

That's exactly my point. Ross is back because presumably the creative team has an idea to use him, not because there was some huge demand to see the return of the Incredible Hulk cast.

 

[Spitfire]

Again, I really don't see it. Betty was already more or less ignored and forgotten by the less of the MCU. The romance didn't do anything to keep Betty out of the MCU since she was more or less already out of it.

It was only 4 years between TIH and Avengers, Bruce had been on his own and Betty should have been mentioned at this point in some capacity. But the two movies since TIH where Bruce has appeared have both been directed by Whedon who has chosen to ignore Betty. If he had wanted to at least mention Betty I doubt Marvel would have objected. But Whedon wanted us to think that Widow is who Bruce loves, and there is no possibility of Betty and Bruce being together.

The Russo's did a wonderful job of closing Cap's romance with Peggy in TWS while treating her character with respect. We don't know what they have planned for Ross in CW but I would be surprised if Betty doesn't get mentioned. Whatever their plans for Betty are, I hope the Russo's end the Brutasha story in CW.

 

[Flint Marko]

They intentionally leave Hulk open-ended so they can pick up where they left off and do with the character whatever they please. So if they want Betty to return, they'll have her come back and it won't be a huge issue.

 

[OcStat]

Bruce and Natasha weren't even in a relationship yet, the whole movie they are trying to decide if it is worth it to even get into that commitment. They just have an attraction, I'd hardly say they were in love.

 

[Pecola1]

Bruce and Natasha weren't even in a relationship yet, the whole movie they are trying to decide if it is worth it to even get into that commitment. They just have an attraction, I'd hardly say they were in love.

I would say the 'In love' phase comes even before the showing of affection for eachother.
Just being attracted is definitely an understatement.
They may have not been engaged, or in a serious relationship, but it is clear they knew their live for each other and were showing their affection.
Obviously this is a problem if Bruce has previously been in a relationship with Betty. However, one problem is the MCU is not quite clear on how much of TIH actually happened... which means it is possible they could just claim he never was in that relationship yet...? Hulk is definitely a problem that needs to be fixed, whether by spending more than a usual amount of time on his character development specifically, which could over bulk a movie like AoU, or making a solo, which would allow for character development focusing on him as well as clearing up what has and hasn't happened with Hulk.

 

[OcStat]

There's a big difference between attraction and love, the latter definitely doesn't come before the former. Besides, they don't even end up together, just like Bruce and Betty, and it's Banners choice. In Age of Ultron, possibly the Hulk's choice, which makes for an interesting layer to the character.

And when has Marvel ever implied that any of Incredible Hulk didn't happen? Ross is returning and Banner references that movies final fight in Avengers.

 

[Pecola1]

There's a big difference between attraction and love, the latter definitely doesn't come before the former. Besides, they don't even end up together, just like Bruce and Betty, and it's Banners choice. In Age of Ultron, possibly the Hulk's choice, which makes for an interesting layer to the character.

And when has Marvel ever implied that any of Incredible Hulk didn't happen? Ross is returning and Banner references that movies final fight in Avengers.

It really depends on how you define 'together'. Obviously we disagree on that point. I do think either way though, he was practically cheating on Betty, as they were in a relationship. Assuming they don't completley ignore Betty...
As for the things that didn't happen, it's not as much that Marvel has implied that things didn't happen, but more of plot holes which cause it to not make sense for something to happen in an Avenger film if something else happened in TIH film. (Like starting to get more intimate with Natasha without ever having mentioned Betty and basically ignoring the fact that that happened.) This is a great article that explains the problems with Hulk in the MCU a lot better than I could.

 

[OcStat]

Betty and Bruce were about as together after Incredible Hulk as they were before it. He had been on the run for years now, and when that was the case before TIH, Betty Ross had moved on and got engaged. I don't see either of them waiting around for the other for years, with no contact.

I'll check out that link.

 

[Pecola1]

There's a big difference between attraction and love, the latter definitely doesn't come before the former. Besides, they don't even end up together, just like Bruce and Betty, and it's Banners choice. In Age of Ultron, possibly the Hulk's choice, which makes for an interesting layer to the character.

And when has Marvel ever implied that any of Incredible Hulk didn't happen? Ross is returning and Banner references that movies final fight in Avengers.

It really depends on how you define a relationship . Obviously we disagree on that point. I do think either way though, he was practically cheating on Betty, as they were in a relationship. Assuming they don't completely ignore Betty...

As for the things that didn't happen, it's not as much that Marvel has implied that things didn't happen, but more of plot holes which cause it to not make sense for something to happen in an Avenger film if something else happened in TIH film. (Like starting to get more intimate with Natasha without ever having mentioned Betty and basically ignoring the fact that she exists.) This is a great article that explains the problems with Hulk in the MCU a lot better than I could.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

i think most would argue that love does not happen before attraction. As attraction is typically experienced though sight first then through experience and exposure, more times than not you do not know you love something before you make contact and interact with the subject.
We can probably assume his relationship with Betty ended the day he left Harlem. They wouldve spent years apart knowing it'd be impossible to be together. That really isnt cheating at all, its being an adult and Its moving on. same way betty had in TIH before bruce resurfaced.

And whether the mcu is ignoring betty is kinda moot because they've referenced the events of TIH, as well as brought General Ross back. So there's no real need to acknowledge someone who isn't currently being used in the stories they're telling. We dont know what Justin Hammer is up to these days, is the MCU ignoring his existence as well?

 

[babykhris]

They showed Justin Hammer in the One shot