The Curious Case of Spider-Man & Hulk Rights (Or Keep Hope Alive That the Rights Will Revert)

[SirStrangefolk]

IF it's true I wonder what it'll be about. (and that's an IF)

Would it involve Banner and Hulk both being completely agreed on raging against other heroes for something done to them? If so what could cause that?
Will it be a situation where savage Hulk is brought back by force similar to how Wanda caused a Hulk rampage in South-Africa? (Maybe Leader?)
Will it be World War Hulk in name only with the plot actually being unrelated about a Hulk rampage as such? Perhaps more something like multiple Hulks/Gamma mutates in some conflict, thus a "war between hulks"? (Bruce, Jennifer, Blonsky and maybe others like a member of the Ross family)

 

[Venom 1988]

Your right. I thought it was written by him since he linked it on Twitter.

I just realized its either his website or he works for it. Either way, if he's backing it there may be some truth to it.

 

[Boom]

*Sigh* Immortal Hulk is right there, man.

Anyway, how's this going to work? Far be it for me to complain about a possible Hulk solo film, but Ruffalo is nearing his mid-50's and looks it. Guy can't play Banner forever, and I doubt they'd make a movie where he is the Hulk the entire time.

Also they kinda squandered Planet Hulk already by adapting that plotline in a Thor movie. And they made Korg comic relief to boot.

I guess this would be in name only?

 

[Venom 1988]

*Sigh* Immortal Hulk is right there, man.

Anyway, how's this going to work? Far be it for me to complain about a possible Hulk solo film, but Ruffalo is nearing his mid-50's and looks it. Guy can't play Banner forever, and I doubt they'd make a movie where he is the Hulk the entire time.

Also they kinda squandered Planet Hulk already by adapting that plotline in a Thor movie. And they made Korg comic relief to boot.

I guess this would be in name only?

Like a lot of other MCU movies, I'd imagine they're just gonna be using elements of the story rather than a straight adaptation. Heck they could even use Maestro for this if they wanted.

 

[Dark Raven]

I imagine if it's the Maestro it will be about Professor Hulk getting a job conducting an orchestra dressed in a tux.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

We get a hulk movie rumor once a year. I'll believe it if variety/deadline/THR report on it. Or obviously if Disney says so.

 

[Spidey_62]

Obviously a proper Hulk movie after so long would be welcome to see but I don't know if the prospect of Ruffalo really excites me as he's looking pretty old for the role at this point and it feels weird to finally give him the spotlight after 10 years of appearances where he didn't do much despite being in some of the biggest blockbusters ever.

This is probably the unpopular sentiment but at this point I wish we could get some nice ambitious character study movies that weren't MCU world-building vehicles, in other words just good solo Marvel movies not part of the MCU. The idea that everything must contribute to it or else it's not as valid is weird to me, but that's what it is right now. I get it, but part of me is just over it all.

 

[psylockolussus]

I don't believe it because:

A. Universal must have been attached to this in the 1st place. I seriously doubt Disney suddenly agreed to cooperate with them with a Hulk solo film when they literally have more than a dozen of Marvel ips;

B. There are so many MCU movies currently in development. For this to come out of nowhere, just now and is supposed to film neXt year? Its quite impossible to believe.

 

[SirStrangefolk]

*Sigh* Immortal Hulk is right there, man.

Anyway, how's this going to work? Far be it for me to complain about a possible Hulk solo film, but Ruffalo is nearing his mid-50's and looks it. Guy can't play Banner forever, and I doubt they'd make a movie where he is the Hulk the entire time.

Also they kinda squandered Planet Hulk already by adapting that plotline in a Thor movie. And they made Korg comic relief to boot.

I guess this would be in name only?

I think Immortal Hulk might be a bit too much body horror for a realistic live action adaptation for all ages.

But yeah, I'm guessing if this movie is real it'll be about as close to the comic of the same name as "Age of Ultron", "Civil War", "Ragnarok", "Infinity War", etc. were to their namesakes. That is to say, not very close.

 

[Boom]

Obviously a proper Hulk movie after so long would be welcome to see but I don't know if the prospect of Ruffalo really excites me as he's looking pretty old for the role at this point and it feels weird to finally give him the spotlight after 10 years of appearances where he didn't do much despite being in some of the biggest blockbusters ever.

Given Hulk's character evolution from The Avengers to Endgame, I do have to wonder how they'll pull this off. I mean let's be honest, the character is basically comic relief at this point.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I don't believe it because:

A. Universal must have been attached to this in the 1st place. I seriously doubt Disney suddenly agreed to cooperate with them with a Hulk solo film when they literally have more than a dozen of Marvel ips;

B. There are so many MCU movies currently in development. For this to come out of nowhere, just now and is supposed to film neXt year? Its quite impossible to believe.

I am taking this with a grain of salt as of now, but it would make sense out of other rumors we have heard. Such as Skaar potentially being in She-Hulk. That seemed like an odd choice to me, but if it is meant to build toward something in a future World War Hulk movie, now that rumor makes more sense. We did hear some rumblings as well that something may have happened in 2020 that got Marvel the rights back, but I didn't take that seriously then.

So, do I take this as true? At the moment, no. But do I think this may prove to be true? Possibly. I guess we will find out more when we see She-Hulk.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

I hate what they have done with arguably Marvel’s no 2 character

 

[Spider-Fan]

I hate what they have done with arguably Marvel’s no 2 character

Are you saying Hulk is Marvel's number 2 character? That may have been true at a time, but he isn't anymore. He has been surpassed by Wolverine, Iron Man, Cap, and even arguably Deadpool. Maybe a few others I am not thinking of. I love the Hulk. But his overall importance to Marvel has been declining I would say since the Ang Lee film and it got worse when they made him a supporting character in the films while others grew more popular and left him in the dust. Same thing happened with the FF, and they are still trying to build them back up.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Are you saying Hulk is Marvel's number 2 character? That may have been true at a time, but he isn't anymore. He has been surpassed by Wolverine, Iron Man, Cap, and even arguably Deadpool. Maybe a few others I am not thinking of. I love the Hulk. But his overall importance to Marvel has been declining I would say since the Ang Lee film and it got worse when they made him a supporting character in the films while others grew more popular and left him in the dust. Same thing happened with the FF, and they are still trying to build them back up.

I don’t disagree.
For years, it was Spidey and Hulk. This was before the MCU. In terms of probability Hulk isn’t no2 but he has a longer history than Wolverine or Deadpool, and was more established across movies and tv than Iron Man before the MCU.

 

[Dr. Evil]

From those skeptical of the credibility of this source, I will note this is from the same guy who was the first to break that Alfred Molina was returning as Doc Ock in NWH before the trades even, and he’s even been credited by trades like Hollywood Reporter for the story. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but if true, then that would mean that Marvel has regained the distribution rights for Hulk from Universal. Which is pretty darn huge news if you ask me.

Still a questionable source.

 

[Boom]

I am taking this with a grain of salt as of now, but it would make sense out of other rumors we have heard. Such as Skaar potentially being in She-Hulk. That seemed like an odd choice to me, but if it is meant to build toward something in a future World War Hulk movie, now that rumor makes more sense. We did hear some rumblings as well that something may have happened in 2020 that got Marvel the rights back, but I didn't take that seriously then.

So, do I take this as true? At the moment, no. But do I think this may prove to be true? Possibly. I guess we will find out more when we see She-Hulk.

Isn't She-Hulk billed as a sitcom? I'm wondering just how heavy things are gonna get in that show.

I've wanted another solo Hulk film for a long time now, but it just feels like they missed the window. Ruffalo is getting up there in age, the character has basically been devolved into a comic-relieving set piece, and the overall development of the Banner/Hulk characters has been an inconsistent roller coaster to say the least. Where do you push the character narratively at this point? Are they just going to throw Skaar at us out of the blue and say, "Surprise! Hulk has a son!" Is Savage Hulk going to return, and if so how does that naturally progress from where we left things with Professor Hulk?

Just a lot of questions. At this point, I think introducing Joe Fixit makes a lot more sense from a character development standpoint. The MCU hasn't even touched on Banner manifesting different Hulk personas based on specific aspects of his psyche. Sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than "Hulk's back and he's mad again."

But again, that's the corner Marvel drove themselves into.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Isn't She-Hulk billed as a sitcom? I'm wondering just how heavy things are gonna get in that show.

I've wanted another solo Hulk film for a long time now, but it just feels like they missed the window. Ruffalo is getting up there in age, the character has basically been devolved into a comic-relieving set piece, and the overall development of the Banner/Hulk characters has been an inconsistent roller coaster to say the least. Where do you push the character narratively at this point? Are they just going to throw Skaar at us out of the blue and say, "Surprise! Hulk has a son!" Is Savage Hulk going to return, and if so how does that naturally progress from Professor Hulk?

Just a lot of questions. Frankly, at this point I think introducing Joe Fixit makes a lot of more sense from a character development standpoint. The MCU hasn't even touched on Banner manifesting different Hulk personas based on specific aspects of his psyche.

Let's be real, the MCU tosses aside or changes stuff off-screen frequently. So they easily could explain away Professor Hulk. I want to see how Hulk having a son plays on screen, but I could see that fitting even if it is for comedy. Like what if Skaar's mom is suing for child support or something? Brings Jennifer into the plot and can be done comedically. That is just one example

I dont think there is zero potential for Hulk. Anyone can make anything work. Just need an idea.

 

[Venom 1988]

It seems Charles Murphy is also backing up the WWH stuff as well.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Guardians just started shooting and that is a 2023 movie. Same for Ant-Man. So if shooting next year, WWH could be 2024. The fact other people are now picking thus up encourages me

 

[Boom]

Let's be real, the MCU tosses aside or changes stuff off-screen frequently. So they easily could explain away Professor Hulk. I want to see how Hulk having a son plays on screen, but I could see that fitting even if it is for comedy. Like what if Skaar's mom is suing for child support or something? Brings Jennifer into the plot and can be done comedically. That is just one example

I dont think there is zero potential for Hulk. Anyone can make anything work. Just need an idea.

I admit bias, for what it's worth. Let's just say I've been profoundly disappointed with the Hulk's trajectory in the MCU. So much wasted potential, though I suspect Universal holding the rights played a huge part in that.

Anyway, I'd be curious to see how this unfolds.

 

[SirStrangefolk]

Isn't She-Hulk billed as a sitcom? I'm wondering just how heavy things are gonna get in that show.

I've wanted another solo Hulk film for a long time now, but it just feels like they missed the window. Ruffalo is getting up there in age, the character has basically been devolved into a comic-relieving set piece, and the overall development of the Banner/Hulk characters has been an inconsistent roller coaster to say the least. Where do you push the character narratively at this point? Are they just going to throw Skaar at us out of the blue and say, "Surprise! Hulk has a son!" Is Savage Hulk going to return, and if so how does that naturally progress from where we left things with Professor Hulk?

Just a lot of questions. At this point, I think introducing Joe Fixit makes a lot more sense from a character development standpoint. The MCU hasn't even touched on Banner manifesting different Hulk personas based on specific aspects of his psyche. Sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than "Hulk's back and he's mad again."

But again, that's the corner Marvel drove themselves into.

I don't think She-Hulk being comedic would preclude it from setting up heavy elements for World War Hulk. Thor: Ragnarok was a joke fest that featured an emotional goodbye to Odin, the deaths of the Warriors Three and many Asgardians, the destruction of Asgard and set-up for the coming of Thanos to go on and kill many more Asgardians including Heimdall and Loki.

As for the return of Savage Hulk, I think there's two ways it could happen if it does. Either something happens that's similar to Wanda's rage inducement from AoU in South Africa (possibly a plot by the Leader or another villain), or like World Breaker Hulk something happens that causes Banner to fully agree with Hulk about going on a rampage

Spoiler

Whatever the movie ends up being about, if it is even actually happening, I could see it being the case that they want to give a full movie dedicated to Ruffalo's last outing as Hulk precisely because he's getting older. They did a final farewell movie for Black Widow, and it's possible Hawkeye will retire after his show. I could see them wanting to do a Hulk-centric story to cap off Ruffalo's involvement if he's thinking of ending his time as Banner in the MCU anytime soon.

 

[Boom]

I don't think She-Hulk being comedic would preclude it from setting up heavy elements for World War Hulk. Thor: Ragnarok was a joke fest that featured an emotional goodbye to Odin, the deaths of the Warriors Three and many Asgardians, the destruction of Asgard and set-up for the coming of Thanos to go on and kill many more Asgardians including Heimdall and Loki.

As for the return of Savage Hulk, I think there's two ways it could happen if it does. Either something happens that's similar to Wanda's rage inducement from AoU in South Africa (possibly a plot by the Leader or another villain), or like World Breaker Hulk something happens that causes Banner to fully agree with Hulk about going on a rampage

Spoiler

Whatever the movie ends up being about, if it is even actually happening, I could see it being the case that they want to give a full movie dedicated to Ruffalo's last outing as Hulk precisely because he's getting older. They did a final farewell movie for Black Widow, and it's possible Hawkeye will retire after his show. I could see them wanting to do a Hulk-centric story to cap off Ruffalo's involvement if he's thinking of ending his time as Banner in the MCU anytime soon.

Then you have She-Hulk and possibly Skaar take over the mantle from there.

 

[spidercide89]

Who Owns The Movie Rights To Marvel Characters: A Comprehensive Guide

 

[metaphysician]

Who Owns The Movie Rights To Marvel Characters: A Comprehensive Guide

You know, I'd be curious to see an even more comprehensive take that follows every character's historical path, not just their current licensing. Sure, Marvel/Disney has the rights to the Punisher currently, but which hands did it pass through in the past, even in cases where no movie was made, for example.

 

[samsnee]

Feige is so smooth

Spider-Man Producer Cried During First MCU Conflict With Kevin Feige

"'We've sort of done that before. And I don't think I'm particularly helpful there.' But Feige wasn't done; he had a counterproposal: 'The only way I know how to do anything is to just do it entirely. So why don't you let us do it? Don't think of it as two studios. And don't think of it as giving another studio back the rights. No change of hands of rights. No change of hands of money. Just engage us to produce it. Just pretend it's like what DC did with Christopher Nolan. I'm not saying we're Nolan, but I am saying there is a production company that is doing this pretty well. Just engage the services of that production company to make the movie.' Pascal was taken aback."