Marvel Studios may not produce a solo Hulk movie any time soon

The Hulk is one of the longest-running characters in Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He made his comic book debut in 1962 and has appeared in ten MCU projects. That’s including Edward Norton’s version.

Speaking of, The Hulk hasn't starred in a solo project since. Even Hawkeye and Nick Fury have their own Disney Plus shows. Regarding that, Mark Ruffalo gave Hulk fans disappointing news. There won’t be a solo Hulk movie. At least no time soon.

CBR.com reports Kevin Feige asked what Ruffalo would like from a Hulk project. He responded, “Well, I'd like to take him from this raging maniac to kind of this integrated character.” To which Feige responded, “Okay. We'll do that over the course of four movies. We'll never give you a standalone Hulk... Don't mean to burst your bubble, but that's just not going to [happen]... So, we'll do it over four movies, how does that sound?”

This is unfortunate news. The Hulk was one of the most popular characters in the MCU. The key word here is was. Since he became Professor Hulk (Avengers: Endgame), his popularity has waned. With Marvel Studios being on a decline recently, Ruffalo's Hulk movie pitch isn’t a good idea.

Fans of the MCU want a certain kind of Hulk. He doesn’t have to be all rage all the time. That won’t work for an entire film. Plus, people like Bruce Banner and Mark Ruffalo portrays him better than anyone. Unfortunately, combining the two isn’t going to work on film. However, if Ruffalo went a different route, a Hulk movie could be in his future. 

There are versions of the Hulk where he isn’t always destroying things. Devil Hulk, Joe Fixit, and the recent Hulk (written by  Phillip K. Johnson) are all different personalities within Bruce Banner. Each of them would require a new and different approach. Since those characters haven't made their way to theaters, this would intrigue fans enough to go to theaters.

A compromise is the only way this works. If a new Hulk persona is used Mark Ruffalo still gets what he wants. He can show that the Hulk is more than “SMASH PUNY HUMANS!” Meanwhile, Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios can get kudos for being creative with a classic character. It's a win for everyone. 

Hopefully, this isn’t the end of Mark Ruffalo’s fight for a solo movie. He’s proven to be a great actor and an important part of Marvel Studios’ success.

Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out if there's a future Hulk project in the works.