Summary

Mark Ruffalo has been told not to comment on the possibility of a solo Hulk movie, leaving fans uncertain. The Hulk has always struggled as a stand-alone character, with the 2008 movie receiving mixed reviews. Universal holds the distribution rights to any solo Hulk movie, creating complications for Marvel Studios’ plans.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going through a rocky patch in the last few years, and many believe that its best days are behind it. This in part is due to the loss of several major characters fans invested 10 years of their lives in, such as Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Evans’ Captain America and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow. However, one original Avenger who has long been rumored to be due another shot at a solo movie is the Hulk, but actor Mark Ruffalo has apparently been told he cannot talk about that.

Ruffalo took over the dual role of Bruce Banner and the Hulk from Edward Norton, who starred in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. There is no denying that Ruffalo has made Banner his own, appearing in all the Avengers movies to date, as well as Thor: Ragnarok, several short cameos, and the Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. But one thing missing from Ruffalo’s resume is a solo movie as the Hulk, and while he has hopes of it happening, the actor recently said that he has been told “not to comment” on the subject.

Speaking to ComicBook.com while attending the premiere of his new movie, Poor Things, Ruffalo was asked whether Disney’s buyout of NBCUniversal’s stake in Hulu could open the door on a Hulk solo project. Ruffalo said:

“Not that I know of. I’ve been asked not to comment on it, that specifically. Hopefully one day though they’ll work it out. I think it could be really cool and I’ve been putting a lot into what it could be to be cool, but I don’t know yet.”

Related: How Marvel Acknowledging Edward Norton’s Hulk Changes the MCU

Why Has Mark Ruffalo Not Had a Solo Hulk Movie?
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

For some reason, the Hulk as a stand-alone character has always struggled to carry a movie. The 2008 movie was criticized for not having much of a story behind it, but still brought in a 65-70% approval rating. By recent standards, this range would be considered a huge success.

When it comes to the Hulk getting another solo movie, well, that falls into the same category of messed-up and complex rights-bound Marvel characters that Spider-Man is part of. Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have an often tenuous agreement over the continued use of the character within the MCU. In the case of the Hulk, things are a little more tricky.

Universal’s original deal with Marvel Studios allowed them to retain the rights to the 2008 movie for 15 years. This expired in 2023, giving many fans hope that Marvel Studios would be able to press on with solo Hulk projects. In March this year, Marvel Studios confirmed that rights to the character of the Hulk, are still held by Universal when it comes to distribution of any solo Hulk movie. In short, any Hulk movie would need to be distributed by Universal, who has the right to refuse the creation of any Hulk project as part of their contract.

With Ruffalo’s comments suggesting that something is happening in the background that could lead to that long-awaited World War Hulk adaptation, fans can only watch and wait to see whether the not-so-jolly green giant could be allowed to take center stage again in the near future.