Marvel’s cinematic schedule is mapped out far into the foreseeable future, but in 2020, the world beating studio has three dates booked. Yet precisely which movies they might be have yet to announced. And not only are fans hoping that one might be a solo Hulk movie, but star Mark Ruffalo also hopes he’ll have a whole film in which to let his green rage free. Yet as he notes, rights issues make that notion fairly complicated.
"…it feels even further away. It’s not Marvel’s property, it’s Universal’s property. I don’t know. It seems really problematic," he told USA Today. That said, the actor is very clear about the possibilities for taking the character to different places.
"When I was doing ‘Age of Ultron‘ —doing the Scarlet Witch acid trip scenes— it really took me a long time to figure out what the Hulk would be afraid of. And then I realized, it was Banner. That relationship is what we’re all so into, but we’ve never seen them in the same scene together —you’re either one or the other, or somewhere in between. But I always imagined that that could be pretty exciting if we could pull it off," he said. "In the Marvel Universe, there is some precedent for it. I remember as a kid, seeing a few of the comics that’d have this multidimensional thing, so there’s a lot of ways to do it … if we could find the right context to use it."
READ MORE: Puny God: What Worked And What Didn’t In ‘The Avengers’
Wait, what? Bruce Banner and the Hulk in the same scene? Yes, it’s possible. Incredible Hulk #315 told the story of Doc Samson splitting Banner and the Hulk into separate entities, with S.H.I.E.L.D. eager to do away with the monster once and for all. Samson sets the Hulk free, but without the conscience of Banner, the creature is even more dangerous.
It’s a tantalizing notion, but one we’ll have to keep dreaming about. As for the Hulk’s next appearance, it will be a co-headlining gig in "Thor: Ragnarok," where a more comedic bent is possible. "I’ve talked to [director] Taika [Waititi] a little bit and I like where it’s headed. … Chris [Hemsworth] and I have a really good time together, we goof off and play around when Tom Hiddleston is around. So it’ll be a lot of funny back-and-forth, especially with Taika, he does that really well. It’ll have that kind of antagonistic ‘Odd Couple‘-thing going on," he said.
Indeed, there’s lots on the table for the Hulk, so let us know what you think in the comments section below. "Thor: Ragnarok" opens on November 3, 2017.