A solo Hulk movie starring Mark Ruffalo remains one of the biggest missing pieces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the MCU’s massive expansion—spanning dozens of films and streaming series—Marvel has never given Bruce Banner another standalone outing since 2008. Considering the Hulk’s popularity and central role in the Avengers, that absence feels strange. The reason, however, has less to do with creative hesitation and more to do with a complicated rights agreement that has quietly blocked any new solo Hulk film for years.
One of the greatest scientific minds in the franchise, Bruce Banner (also known as the Hulk), is a meek and frail man who is hiding a terrible secret. Banner transforms into the Hulk when pushed too far, becoming a raging green monster that frequently overwhelms his senses and wreaks complete destruction on the world around him. A gamma radiation experiment gone wrong afflicted Banner with this particular condition, and whenever Banner finds himself in stressful situations, the monster bursts out to demolish everything in its path. The Hulk’s power is nearly unmatched, and as the monster, Banner has fought some of the greatest beings in the Marvel universe, from Thor to Thanos.
It wasn't always this way when it came to a Hulk film. Marvel always wanted the Hulk to have a major part in its ever-expanding franchise. As a testament to the confidence in the character, it commissioned The Incredible Hulk film in 2008, positioning it as its second feature outing after the first Iron Man. While the film was not a smash hit, it was well-received, and Edward Norton, who played Banner at the time, received high praise for his performance. This is where it all began to unravel.
Norton refused to be part of the studio system and actually contributed to the script as an uncredited writer, helping make it more impactful. Marvel, on the other hand, needed a compliant actor who could come in when requested and not interfere with the creative process. This was not in line with what a veteran actor like Norton had in mind, and he parted ways with the studio soon after, only to be recast by Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo has since played the Hulk in at least eight live action projects so far, with future appearances lined up as well.
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So why hasn't Marvel tried making another Hulk film? Afterall, they have made four Captain America films, three Ant-Man films, and even a Shang-Chi film. Hulk is significantly more popular than these B and C-list heroes and thus, at least deserves his own trilogy. The brutal truth of the matter is this: Disney and Marvel cannot make a solo Hulk film without involving Universal Studios which continues to hold the first right of making any solo Hulk feature. Rights to the Hulk were sold to Universal in the 90s when Marvel needed to raise some cash, and Universal has continued to hold onto them till today.
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Who Owns the Hulk Movie Rights?
To be fair, Universal did try to give the Hulk the feature-length treatment multiple times. The studio made the 2003 Ang Lee Hulk feature (which was well received but bombed in theatres), and it collaborated with Paramount to make the 2008 Incredible Hulk feature as well, which was the second MCU film. However, Disney/Marvel does not want to collaborate with Universal on another Hulk film (Universal takes a cut of the profits in this case), and thus, we arrive at the root of this conundrum.
To bypass this deadlock, Marvel has used a loophole in their agreement with Universal. Marvel cannot make a solo Hulk movie without Universal, but they can absolutely use Hulk and its roster of supporting characters in any of their own projects. In plain terms, this means Hulk cannot be the lead of the movie but he can absolutely be part of a Marvel film in which he shares the screentime with other MCU heroes. Using this, Marvel has been able to use Hulk, General Thunderbolt Ross, Abomination, and other Hulk-related characters in a plethora of films and TV shows since 2008.
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Hulk is an integral part of the original Avengers team, and for reasons above, remains the only member to not get a sequel to his solo feature (Hawkeye doesn't count as he is not that popular). Thus, in its pursuit of a Hulk-focused project, Marvel has done some pretty weird stuff. In 2021, they made a She-Hulk TV series, focused on Bruce Banner’s cousin as she attempts to balance her career as a lawyer with her newly discovered powers. Ruffalo’s Banner was a big part of this. In 2024, they made a quasi-sequel to the Incredible Hulk in the form of the fourth Captain America film, bringing back most of the cast of the 2008 film. Both of these attempts were failures.
Ruffalo is next set to return as Hulk in Spiderman: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Brand New Day sees Spider-Man team up with the Punisher to battle Hulk (it remains to be seen how and why the Hulk temporarily turns into a bad guy here), and Doomsday will see Hulk join the roster of dozens of Earth’s heroes to fight Doom’s multiversal threat.
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Will Marvel Ever Make Another Solo Hulk Movie?
Knowing the value of the brand, Universal is not likely to let go of Hulk easily. Furthermore, Universal is not a failing studio like 20th Century Fox was, so any chances of Universal being bought out by Disney are far-fetched as well. Thus, for the foreseeable future, Marvel will continue to feature Hulk in a supporting role in its projects with no chance for a solo film. On the off-chance that we see Universal and Disney collaborate once more on a new Hulk feature, a solo Hulk film will become a very real possibility.
Thus, the fact that Universal continues to hold the rights to any solo Hulk movie complicates the making of any solo Hulk feature. Marvel, to ensure Hulk remains a part of its story, has continued to use Hulk and its supporting characters in most new projects but a new solo Hulk film is not possible any time soon.
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