Rumors have been circulating for weeks about Mark Ruffalo potentially leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While he’s expected to return as Bruce Banner in this year’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, some people have speculated he was fired due to his political views. This speculation stems from the fact that he hasn’t appeared in an MCU project since 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the Spider-Man films are made in partnership with Sony, leading some to not consider them part of the main MCU timeline.
Mark Ruffalo has addressed the rumors about being replaced as the Hulk, appearing amused by the whole idea. He jokingly said he hadn’t heard anything about being fired. Chris Hemsworth quickly chimed in, promising to speak up if anyone tried to remove Ruffalo from the role. Ruffalo confirmed he’s still involved as long as Marvel wants him, and hinted that there are future Hulk appearances planned – likely the storyline fans are hoping for.
The Hulk’s Biggest Stories Have Been Skipped By Marvel
The Hulk’s journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t been straightforward, and it’s not entirely Marvel’s fault. Before Marvel became a movie studio, the rights to make solo Hulk movies and TV shows were sold to Universal. When Disney bought Marvel in 2010, they were hesitant to produce films that another company would distribute. This resulted in the Hulk primarily appearing in team-up movies, which meant many of his most famous storylines couldn’t be adapted.
A great example of this trend is the “Planet Hulk” storyline, where the Hulk found himself marooned on a hostile planet and eventually became its ruler. Written by Greg Pak, it’s widely considered a landmark Hulk story, but it was largely reduced to a minor plot point in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok. What’s more, Waititi admitted in an interview with The Empire Film Podcast that he wasn’t familiar with the comics or even particularly interested in the characters, describing the Hulk as simply “a bipolar, angry green beast” and wanting to make him more sympathetic.
The Hulk’s story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has felt fragmented, with key events happening without being shown on screen. While Ragnarok, Infinity War, and Endgame form a loose three-part arc, the internal struggle between Bruce Banner and the Hulk actually takes place during the five-year gap between the Avengers films. With the rights to the Hulk seemingly returning to Marvel in 2023, and his recent appearance in a Spider-Man film, it looks like he’ll be important to the MCU going forward.
It’s Time For “World War Hulk”
Marvel has one clear path to fix the way they’ve handled the Hulk: give fans the story they’ve been waiting for since the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The end of the first Incredible Hulk movie hinted at a showdown between the Hulk and the Avengers, but the films went a different way. While Avengers: Age of Ultron showed a short fight between Hulk and Iron Man, manipulated by Scarlet Witch, it wasn’t enough. Now is the time to tell the “World War Hulk” story.
Following the events of “Planet Hulk,” the story brought a furious Hulk back to Earth seeking revenge on the superheroes he held responsible for the loss of his home and family. It was a massive showdown, letting Marvel match the Hulk against its strongest heroes – though Thor wasn’t available at the time. This story was unlike any Hulk tale before it, both in its scope and the sheer intensity of his anger, as a single stomp nearly caused a catastrophic collapse of the East Coast.
Marvel might need to adjust its approach to the Hulk. Recent storylines have focused on the more controlled “Professor Hulk,” but a return to the classic, savage version could be beneficial. One way to do this could be through the Spider-Man: Brand New Day storyline. Another option is a complete reboot of the Hulk’s story during Avengers: Secret Wars, allowing Marvel to start fresh and potentially handle the character more effectively this time around.
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2026-02-10 16:10