Marvel Studios has been hinting that the Hulk’s MCU journey could soon come to an end, and they already have the perfect character to replace him.
Marvel Studios has already teased the perfect replacement for the Hulk in the MCU’s Phase 7. The Hulk is one of the MCU’s oldest characters, introduced in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, originally played by Edward Norton but replaced by Mark Ruffalo from The Avengers onwards. Since his debut, Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, has seen more character development than most MCU heroes, leading to him combining his two personas into Smart Hulk during Avengers: Endgame, but Marvel Studios has been teasing one major Hulk storyline from Marvel Comics that could soon bring the Hulk’s MCU journey to an end.
Starting with the Hulk’s self-inflicted exile at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel Studios has been laying the foundations for an adaptation of Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk storyline, which was released in 2007. The introduction of Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok, the alternate version of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the debut of the Hulk’s son, Skaar, in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s series finale all point to the eventual development of a World War Hulk project in the MCU. World War Hulk ended with Bruce Banner’s incarceration, only to be replaced by yet another incredibly strong Marvel hero.
Hercules Replaced The Hulk After Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk
Marvel Comics’ Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines, created by Greg Pak and John Romita Jr., saw the Hulk banished from Earth by the Illuminati, finding himself launched into space where he settles on Sakaar. After building a life on Sakaar, the shuttle that the Hulk traveled aboard explodes, killing his wife, which causes the Hulk to return to Earth with a vendetta against the heroes who exiled him in the first place. World War Hulk is an epic crossover event that features most of Marvel’s roster of heroes, and ends in a dramatic battle between the Hulk and the Sentry, during which the Hulk is incapacitated and imprisoned.
In the aftermath of 2007’s World War Hulk, Marvel Comics’ run of The Incredible Hulk was replaced by The Incredible Hercules, which continued the story of Hercules and his soon-to-be-Hulk and genius sidekick Amadeus Cho. Hercules was the perfect character to replace the Hulk in his self-titled series, as both express remarkable power, the Hulk from his exposure to gamma radiation, and Hercules from his connection to the Greek pantheon. Bruce Banner eventually returned for more adventures as the Hulk, but Hercules’ replacement of the Hulk after World War Hulk put the Greek demigod on the map.
Brett Goldstein’s Hercules Can Replace The Hulk In The MCU
Despite being seen as one of the weakest MCU projects in Phase 4, Thor: Love & Thunder did introduce many new characters to the MCU, including Hercules himself during the film’s mid-credits scene. Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein portrayed Hercules, the son of Zeus, during Thor: Love & Thunder and is expected to appear in future MCU projects, particularly since Love & Thunder set up a rivalry between Hercules and Thor. However, there’s currently been no word on Hercules’ return to the franchise, but a potential World War Hulk project in the MCU’s Phase 6 or beyond could quickly solve this issue.
Recent developments in Chris Hemsworth’s personal life have led to speculation that the MCU’s Multiverse Saga will culminate in Thor’s death, potentially at the hands of Kang the Conqueror. If this is the case, Goldstein’s Hercules has the opportunity to replace not only the Hulk but also Thor, as both are supremely powerful mythological figures. This could mean that Hercules will get a lot more development during the MCU’s Phase 7, assuming a World War Hulk project is on the docket for the MCU either just before or immediately after Avengers: Secret Wars. Hercules’ inclusion in the MCU can help to solve one major issue with the MCU’s post-credits scenes.
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The MCU Needs To Bring Hercules Back Soon
Marvel Studios has recently come under scrutiny, particularly during the MCU’s Phase 4, as many projects have struggled to match up to the epic scale of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. One issue that has been met with criticism is the fact that Marvel Studios has been setting up major storylines in their post-credits scenes that won’t see any sort of payoff for potentially years to come. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced Clea with no word on a potential Doctor Strange 3, Eternals debuted the Ebony Blade that probably won’t get seen again until Blade, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced T’Challa’s son to the MCU.
Hercules’ debut in Thor: Love & Thunder’s post-credits scene is another victim of this pattern, as the next obvious place for him to appear would be in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Avengers: Secret Wars, or Thor 5. Following Disney CEO Bob Iger’s comments on shifting the MCU into “newness,” it’s possible that Thor: Love & Thunder will never get a direct sequel, so Hercules will need to find new projects for his story to develop. Should a World War Hulk project be confirmed by Marvel Studios, this could create the perfect opportunity for Hercules to be showcased further and set up a bright future for the Greek hero.
When Will World War Hulk Happen In The MCU?
Thor: Love & Thunder debuted Hercules in July 2022, and there are currently no empty release windows for Marvel Studios projects until 2025 at the earliest, suggesting it will be quite a while before audiences see Hercules again. While it’s possible he could appear alongside Thor in Phase 6’s Avengers films, a World War Hulk project would be a much more impactful entrance for Hercules. The potential project has been teased by Marvel Studios for a number of years now, but there is still no word on when or if it will go into development, though World War Hulk does seem like the natural progression for the Hulk’s MCU story.
While the MCU’s complete Phase 5 slate was revealed by Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, only three projects for Phase 6 were revealed: Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars. These films were later joined by Deadpool 3, but there are still several empty slots in Phase 6, one of which could realistically be filled by World War Hulk. Marvel Studios may even decide to forego a World War Hulk story as part of the Multiverse Saga, instead releasing the project as part of Phase 7, which would allow Hulk more time to build up to the highly-anticipated rampage.
