World War Hulk: Plot Details & Everything We Know

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Summary

Hulk's involvement in the Multiverse Saga hints at a possible World War Hulk movie in the MCU Phase 6, filling significant gaps.
She-Hulk series has teased a Sakaar connection, suggesting a future World War Hulk storyline revolving around Bruce Banner and his journey.
The potential for a World War Hulk film involves key characters like Skaar, Red Hulk, and the Illuminati, posing a threat to the Avengers world.

Bruce Banner has been prevalent in the MCU ever since the franchise's inception, and the character's most exciting story, World War Hulk, has been heavily rumored to be finally in the works. The Hulk first entered the MCU timeline in 2008 with The Incredible Hulk, one of the earliest Marvel Studios movies, though the character looks a lot different in the film, as the titular hero was played by Edward Norton. Four years later, in The Avengers, the actor was replaced by Mark Ruffalo. While the character hasn't had a second solo movie in the MCU, Ruffalo became a major player in the series all the way up to and beyond Avengers: Endgame.
The Hulk is one of the few original Avengers to have a role in the Multiverse Saga. Not only that, but The Incredible Hulk has surprisingly become one of the most important MCU Phase 1 movies, as Abomination returned in two MCU projects in 2022: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Meanwhile, The Incredible Hulk's The Leader will soon make a return appearance as the main antagonist of the Captain America: Brave New World cast. With all the returning Hulk-related characters and Bruce's own appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, a lot has been hinted at regarding the possibility of a World War Hulk movie.
RELATED: She-Hulk Detail Suggests MCU's World War Hulk Will Be Even Sadder
World War Hulk Latest News

While there hasn't been any official news on the development of a World War Hulk movie, the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law teased the story as early as its first episode, "A Normal Amount of Rage," when a Sakaarian spaceship appeared, causing Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters to veer off the road. Sakaar is the planet in Thor: Ragnarok, and in the comics, World War Hulk follows the Hulk's departure from that world. In She-Hulk episode 2, "Superhuman Law," Banner says, "I got some things to take care of" before flying away in another Sakaarian ship, which all but confirms what's next for the super scientist.
Sakaar plays an important role in the World War Hulk comic book story, and though Thor: Ragnarok pulled from parts of the story, such as Hulk being a gladiator, it didn't go any further than that. Mark Ruffalo commented on the tease after admitting that not much had been mentioned about the Hulk's time on Sakaar or turning into Smart Hulk. The actor explained, "I do think that the trip to Sakaar is a good place to start, and what that means to the idea of what the fans have been asking for," hinting that World War Hulk could fill in the gaps. However, he didn't give much away.
While Marvel Studios has left viewers wondering what happens next as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had a lot of loose ends, Ruffalo's comments are at least positive. And while it might have been totally cryptic, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's head writer Jessica Gao addressed the World War Hulk tease by saying, "I think it kind of opens up the possibility, if Marvel chooses to do something with that, to pick up that story. If they wanted." Gao isn't currently signed onto any MCU project, and She-Hulk season 2 hasn't been confirmed, but she could be working on something yet to be announced.
Related: Marvel Is Hinting At Banner's Darkest Origin For World War Hulk
World War Hulk Release Date

Following the last announcements from Marvel Studios, there are some clear places in the Multiverse Saga timeline where World War Hulk would fit perfectly if it was to happen. In particular, there are some huge gaps in MCU Phase 6, notably in the year between Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars where there are currently no MCU movies scheduled.
However, the best possible time for World War Hulk would be after Avengers: Secret Wars, which concludes the Multiverse Saga. World War Hulk would be too much of a distraction from the Avengers movies if it was released in MCU Phase 6. Given that World War Hulk story includes not only the Hulk, but the Avengers, the Inhumans, and the X-Men, the MCU could risk being overstuffed. World War Hulk wouldn't be the same without the mutants, so they need to be well-established in the universe by the time the movie is released. However, 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine could fix that, especially with the return of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.
World War Hulk Cast

Naturally, the most obvious candidate for a World War Hulk movie cast is that of the MCU's Bruce Banner and Hulk, both played by Mark Ruffalo. Notably, while Ruffalo has made comments that suggest the film would be possible, he has also stated that Kevin Feige told him there would never be a solo MCU Hulk movie in February 2024 - but this doesn't strictly make the movie null and void, as it could simply instead be an ensemble film. What it would perhaps mean, however, is that the focus would have to be more on other heroes, with the Hulk more squarely being the antagonist of the story.
The potential World War Hulk roster was also opened up by She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which introduced not only the titular character and her transformation, but also brought in Hulk's son Skaar. As figures close to Banner - and Hulks in their own right - this raises a lot of potential for the duo to either be the emotional heart of the story as they try and find and calm their raging family member, or to themselves have turned rogue and require Banner and the Hulk to try and help them.
A fourth Hulk has also recently been brought to the table after years of hopes they would appear, as Captain America: Brave New World's trailer revealed that Thaddeus Ross will be turning into the Red Hulk at some stage of the film's story. This is exciting not only because the Red Hulk reveal has been decades in the making following Thaddeus Ross' debut in The Incredible Hulk, but also because it makes a World War Hulk storyline feel all the more viable, given the behemoth is also a key part of the comic iteration's plot.
Other than this, it stands to reason that the MCU would use all the introduced and living members of the comic storyline in an MCU movie adaptation, meaning Doctor Strange and the about-to-be introduced Mister Fantastic could also play a key role, given they were core members of the Illuminati team that sent Hulk from Earth in the original narrative. However, Iron Man would be impossible to bring into the story following his MCU death despite being a main character in the original edition of World War Hulk, and Black Bolt similarly doesn't yet canonically exist in the main universe.
Notably, the World War Hulk comic also includes several of the X-Men, Black Bolt, Ghost Rider, and a number of as-of-yet-unestablished superhero teams. This means the franchise may wish to wait until at least some of these figures are brought in to use the prospective story.
World War Hulk Story Details

The World War Hulk movie could be the Multiverse Saga's Civil War, as it's an epic crossover. The comics follow the Hulk being tricked into going to space by the Illuminati, and once he arrives back on Earth, seeking revenge on the superhero group. Hulk then confronts Professor Xavier, kills several X-Men, and goes on to fight The New Avengers, The Fantastic Four, and Gamma Corps. While elements of the story have been used in the MCU, such as Bruce Banner being exiled — though it was of his own volition — the events between that moment in Avengers: Age of Ultron and his reappearance in Thor: Ragnarok remain unknown.
Related: 10 Hints The MCU Has Already Dropped About Adapting The World War Hulk Storyline
Along with the hints in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the Illuminati was introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, leading to the possibility that the Hulk could have an altercation with the group in the future. However, given that the current iteration of the superhero is Smart Hulk, who isn't all that angry, he isn't exactly vengeful either. But that's where the Hulk's son, Skaar, comes in. Having been introduced at the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, in World War Hulk, he could be vengeful after being abandoned by his father, making him a potentially vital character story wise.
Then there's the potential for Red Hulk to be involved, as the character was first introduced in the World War Hulk comic storyline. Captain America: Brave New World is also set to have General Ross becoming Red Hulk within its plot, meaning as long as he survives that movie, he'd be a viable option for a prospective MCU Hulk movie. Indeed, this may open ways for the franchise to explore a rampaging Hulk without undoing Banner's own storyline of finding inner peace, potentially instead placing him as the best candidate to face off against a berserker Red Hulk.

World War Hulk World War Hulk is the rumored adaptation of the 2007 comic book crossover event that saw the Illuminati. This powerful Marvel team tricked The Hulk by sending him into space, hoping to stop his endless rampage.
Upcoming MCU Movies
Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine
July 26, 2024
Captain America: Brave New World
February 14, 2025
Thunderbolts*
May 5, 2025
The Fantastic Four
July 25, 2025
Blade
November 7, 2025
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
May 1, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars
May 7, 2027

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