The end of any Marvel Cinematic Universe saga is set to bring major changes alongside it. After the Infinity Saga concluded, beloved heroes like Iron Man and Black Widow were suddenly out of the picture, while a new wave of characters took over the spotlight. Suddenly, the Infinity Stones were forgotten, and incursions started to happen left and right—breaking the fabric of reality a little more each time. So now that the Multiverse Saga is coming to an end, we're bound to experience a similar scenario yet again.
The X-Men from the Fox era will return for one more adventure in Avengers: Doomsday, but after that, new faces are set to bring the mutants to life. Similarly, it has been reported that some established heroes will pass the baton to their successors, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed a "reset" is in store. The fate of most characters remains up in the air, and anyone could meet their end at any given moment. Fortunately, it seems one iconic Marvel veteran will not only survive Doom's reign, but he'll stick around in the MCU after the release of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Mark Ruffalo will reportedly keep portraying the Hulk after the Multiverse Saga ends
According to industry insider That REDACTED Guy, Mark Ruffalo "isn't stepping down from his role as Bruce Banner post-Secret Wars." The report came after an initial rumor suggested that his time as the Green Goliath was coming to an end during the next couple of years.
Hulk has always been in a very complicated position in the MCU. Universal Studios held the distribution rights to his solo movies for a long time, explaining why the character hasn't had a standalone adventure since 2008. Unfortunately, it remains a mystery whether that is still the case. However, Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton revealed that Mark Ruffalo has "a few pitches" for a standalone Hulk movie, and that they are pretty good. That could be an indication that Marvel is finally ready to give the character the spotlight.
The fact that Mark Ruffalo continues to be creatively involved in the character's future and is thinking of ideas for a solo movie indicates he will keep playing the Hulk for years to come. The only question remaining is: where will we see him next? His last MCU appearance took place in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where he finally "relapsed" and became a monster after years of keeping his darker half under control. Now, the pieces are set for this unstoppable force of nature to wreak havoc once more.
Unfortunately, Mark Ruffalo revealed that he won't reprise his role as Bruce Banner in Avengers: Doomsday (although he also denied appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day for some time). But if we were to assume this was actually the case, the character's next appearance would likely be in Avengers: Secret Wars, where it has been rumored that a Planet Hulk storyline will be set up.
Marvel has barely scratched the surface with the Green Goliath, as he has mostly been relegated to a secondary character in other heroes' projects. Fortunately, the end of the Multiverse Saga will give the studio a near-blank canvas to start anew, and such a moment presents the perfect opportunity for the Hulk to finally get the recognition he deserves. After all, he's one of Marvel's most popular heroes in the comic-book world, often considered one of the "big three" alongside Spider-Man and Wolverine.
Unfortunately, it may be a while before we truly discover what the character's plans are, especially if he skips the events of Avengers: Doomsday. But with a bit of luck, we'll see Bruce Banner in Avengers: Secret Wars, and the crossover project will give us a clear idea of what the future holds for the character.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on Dec. 17, 2027.
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