Marvel reportedly bringing original Avenger back for jaw-dropping solo movie

No matter how much the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to evolve and grow, it will be hard for the franchise to beat those original early years. From the long-form storytelling approach it took when building the Infinity Saga to the quality of those earlier movies, the stars just aligned on almost everything. But the biggest selling point was undoubtedly those original Avengers, as fans just loved to see Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye team up together.

With the vast majority of those heroes no longer a part of the MCU, fans are always eager to hear more about any potential returns that some of them might be staging, and with this being the Multiverse Saga, those returns are always just a parallel universe away (even if it's an alternate version of the beloved character).

However, according to a new rumor, one of the original six Avengers will return for a project that fans have been longing to see.

Marvel reportedly building towards a World War Hulk project

Marvel scooper Alex Perez, a.k.a. AlexFromCC, recently hosted a Q&A session with fans (via The Cosmic Circus) and discussed a number of topics regarding Marvel's Multiverse Saga. Among them, he revealed that the studio is currently juggling a number of side stories that are running parallel to the primary storyline and that one of them will inevitably lead to a World War Hulk project.

The scooper claims that the storyline has been set up through projects such as Spider-Man: Far From Home, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Secret Invasion and will reach its boiling point through upcoming projects Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*.

Through the breadcrumbs laid in those movies, the report states that the world will experiment with creating superhuman weapons, which is what ultimately spawns President Ross' transformation into the Red Hulk. Seeing the governments of the world all attempt to create their own Hulks would be Bruce Banner's worst nightmare come to life, resulting in him potentially reverting back into Savage Hulk form and eventually finding himself on a collision course with Harrison Ford's Red Hulk. And honestly, that sounds really compelling.

AlexFromCC notes that this World War Hulk adaptation would surprise people as it differs greatly from the source material (which sees an enraged and powerful Hulk return to Earth after being exiled into space, seeking revenge on the Illuminati), but it's an adaptation that would be at home in the relatively grounded world of the MCU. And given that fans have been longing for an adaptation of this storyline, they would more than likely respond well to it; particularly because it would bring the Hulk character back to where he needed to be - all while referencing current storylines taking place within the MCU.

The Incredible Hulk sequel we've been waiting for

While it's important to take all rumors with a grain of salt, this one has made a strong case for its existence given that many of the plot points mentioned have or are taking place in the Multiverse Saga. It's surely building towards something, and World War Hulk could be the project, especially given all of Captain America: Brave New World's ties to The Incredible Hulk.

Fans have been calling the upcoming movie more of an Incredible Hulk sequel than a Captain America sequel, and honestly, you can see why. The film is bringing back Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross for his first major role since the 2008 film (prior to his death, original actor William Hurt had appeared in multiple MCU films since but in a more supporting role) and it could also see him transform into the Red Hulk. It will also feature Tim Blake Nelson back as The Leader, and even Liv Tyler back as Betty Ross, too. While it will be great to see those characters again, why are they returning in a Captain America movie if not to play a part in a longer overarching story?

If it is indeed a prelude to World War Hulk, it will likely come as music to fans' ears. For the longest of times, we have all wanted to see Mark Ruffalo get the chance to play the big, green hero in a standalone movie of his own (Edward Norton played the role in the 2008 film). It hasn't happened and fans have grown more and more frustrated with how the character has been presented over the years, with the creative choices to make him a more light-hearted funnier hero (eventually paving the way for Professor Hulk) receiving an extremely divisive response.

By developing a World War Hulk movie, Marvel could make up for one of the biggest issues with the Infinity Saga in giving Ruffalo's Hulk the chance to return to his former glory, all while finally getting the spotlight of leading a movie that he deserves.