Marvel Studios’ rumored World War Hulk project could see some of Bruce Banner’s scariest Marvel Comics storylines come to life in the live-action MCU.
A rumored World War Hulk project at Marvel Studios could see some of the Hulk’s scariest Marvel Comics moments brought into the MCU. Introduced in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner is one of the MCU’s longest-running characters, seeing some major changes over the years but showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, recent speculation has led many to believe that Marvel Studios could soon be developing a World War Hulk project for the MCU, which would see the Hulk revert to the animalistic and brutal character that was initially seen in the MCU, which could bring some terrifying moments from Marvel Comics into the live-action MCU.
While the MCU’s Hulk started as a destructive force whose only true goal was to “smash,” Avengers: Endgame saw Banner and the Hulk merge into Smart Hulk, a transformation that was developed further in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Despite the importance of the Smart Hulk persona in the MCU, many are patiently waiting for the Hulk’s rage to present itself since the consensus is that the Hulk’s power level has been done a disservice in recent MCU projects. A potential World War Hulk addition to the MCU could see this come to fruition and could take the form of a true horror movie in Marvel Studios’ superhero franchise.
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Marvel Studios Has Been Teasing A World War Hulk Project
Thor: Ragnarok provided the first tease for a World War Hulk project in the MCU since it partially adapted the storyline of Marvel Comics’ 2006 Planet Hulk event. During this storyline, the Hulk was exiled from the Earth and crashed on Sakaar, where he led a revolution against Sakaar’s ruler, but his shuttle exploded, killing his pregnant wife. Enraged, the Hulk and his Warbound army journeyed to Earth to seek revenge on the heroes who banished him. Sakaar’s appearance in Thor: Ragnarok was a major World War Hulk tease, and since the Hulk’s adventures on the wasteland planet are still mostly unknown, there’s plenty of opportunity to continue this story.
In recent MCU projects, World War Hulk has been teased even further, perhaps most notably in the debut of the Hulk’s son, Skaar, in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, a character who debuted during Marvel Comics’ 2007 World War Hulk event. The aftermath of World War Hulk saw the recently-introduced Hercules replace the hero for a while, and also the creation of the Red Hulk, who has been rumored for Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts. In the comics, it was Marvel’s Illuminati team who banished the Hulk, a team that was recently featured during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though this team was from Earth-838.
One of the biggest teases for a potential World War Hulk project in the MCU is actually yet to come. Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk ends in an intense and explosive battle between the Hulk and the Sentry, an almost all-powerful character who has been rumored to debut in Phase 5’s Thunderbolts. World War Hulk is one of Marvel Comics’ most extensive and memorable storylines, featuring almost every one of Marvel’s heroes as targets in the Hulk’s rampage on Earth, so it would be spectacular to see this on the big screen. Sentry’s potential debut in Thunderbolts would be the final element needed to bring this story to life.
MCU’s Hulk Started As A Horror Character
Even though most of the pieces might almost be in place for Marvel Studios to tell a World War Hulk story in the MCU, the issue of the Hulk’s unbridled anger still stands, as Banner is currently still in his Smart Hulk form. In a live-action World War Hulk project, the Hulk needs to bring back some of the horror aspects that made him such an interesting character in the early days of the MCU. Before the Hulk’s self-inflicted exile at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the character was a ticking time bomb, which is a key character trait for the Hulk in any potentially world-breaking storyline.
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The Hulk’s first appearance in the MCU’s The Incredible Hulk introduced him as a tortured, mysterious, and dangerous character, borrowing many tropes of the horror genre to tease a sinister future for the Hulk. This was also glimpsed in The Avengers, which debuted Mark Ruffalo’s more approachable take on Bruce Banner but also displayed a scary Hulk, especially during his initial transformation on SHIELD’s helicarrier. Avengers: Age of Ultron leaned even heavier into this theme, showing the Hulk run rampant through the streets of Johannesburg, but since then, the Hulk has been dulled down in the MCU, so perhaps it’s time for his scarier side to show its face again.
World War Hulk Would Work Better As An MCU Horror Film
Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk event featured the Hulk causing a huge amount of damage to Earth and its heroes, defeating the likes of the Inhumans, the Mighty Avengers, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. The Hulk is shown as a villain for most of the story, so if this is to be adapted into live-action, the MCU needs to rely on the horror aspects of the Hulk’s character to deliver the most powerful impact. This would mean eliminating the Smart Hulk persona that Banner has adopted in recent years in favor of a Hulk who wants nothing more than to see his former friends defeated.
As part of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios promised that projects would experiment more with genre, particularly delving into the horror corners of MCU stories. While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Moon Knight explored horror in places, the Marvel formula meant that neither relied too heavily on horror. Werewolf By Night took the form of old Hollywood horror, and this worked brilliantly, so perhaps Marvel Studios could dip their toes back into horror for their rumored World War Hulk project, especially since this would perfectly capture the essence of the Hulk’s anger in Marvel Comics.
Immortal Hulk Could Make World War Hulk Even More Terrifying
Though the Immortal Hulk, previously known as the Devil Hulk, appears in storylines separate from World War Hulk in Marvel Comics, the debut of this side of Banner’s psyche would be a fantastic way for Marvel Studios to put a new spin on the iconic story and lean heavier into the horror genre. In the comics, the Devil Hulk emerges in 2000’s The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 3) #13 as a personification of Bruce Banner’s resentment over how he’s seen in the eyes of the world. This could have supplied the inspiration for the Hulk’s rampage in Avengers: Age of Ultron, though the Devil Hulk operates as a separate character from Banner, despite sharing a body.
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The Devil Hulk resurfaced in 2018’s The Immortal Hulk #1 in the wake of Banner’s death and subsequent resurrection during Civil War II. Now going by the name Immortal Hulk, this version wakes when Banner sleeps; even if Banner is killed during the day, the Immortal Hulk revives the body. This version of the Hulk is angrier, only stopped after being beheaded by the Leader, who will make his MCU debut in Captain America: New World Order. The Immortal Hulk would be an interesting element to add to a World War Hulk story in the MCU, as it would make the already catastrophic storyline even more terrifying.
The Devil/Immortal Hulk stories in Marvel Comics rely very heavily on horror to present the most intimidating and horrifying version of the legendary character, taking elements of body horror and mental anguish which would translate perfectly into the live-action MCU. While a World War Hulk project hasn’t yet been confirmed by Marvel Studios, the fact that the Marvel Comics event contains important setup for 2015’s run of Secret Wars could mean that it’ll find its way into the MCU’s Phase 6. If Marvel Studios want to provide audiences with an honest-to-goodness horror flick, World War Hulk is certainly the way to go.
