For years, fans have speculated about a potential World War Hulk movie, but those rumors have remained just that – rumors. Recently, however, a new rumor has emerged, suggesting that Marvel Studios has been quietly laying the groundwork for an ambitious World War Hulk storyline, albeit in a manner that might surprise many.
According to Alex Perez of Cosmic Circus, the studio has been weaving the threads of this narrative across multiple projects, including Spider-Man: Far From Home, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Secret Invasion.
The overarching theme revolves around the world’s growing unease with the increasing number of superheroes in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. With no active Avengers team, nations are racing to develop their own superhuman soldiers or teams to counter various threats.
There seems to be some truth to the above considering that the most recent CinemaCon presentation of Captain America confirmed that President Ross wants Sam Wilson to rebuild the Avengers.
This tension manifests in various forms, such as France’s clandestine attempt to acquire Vibranium from Wakanda, the United States’ covert operations to acquire the metal, and the Department of Damage Control managing superhuman incidents. According to Perez, and this a bit of a stretch but within the realm of possibility, this narrative will reach its climax in projects like Captain America 4, where nations will pursue their superhuman ambitions, leading to the creation of Hulks worldwide.
Marvel Studios appears to be setting the stage for a conflict where Bruce Banner confronts his greatest fears as governments produce their own Hulks. This could potentially lead to the resurgence of the Savage Hulk and a confrontation between Banner and President Ross, who thanks to McDonalds leaking the toys, becomes the Red Hulk.
While Mark Ruffalo initially confirmed his appearance in Captain America 4 he later retracted the statement, citing a mistake. However, a closer examination of the announced villains for the film reveals that most are associated with the Hulk storyline, except for the character played by Giancarlo Esposito, whose identity remains unknown but may also tie into the Hulk narrative.
It’s currently unclear if Harrison Ford’s General Thunderbolt Ross will be the main threat of Captain America 4 even if he does transform into the Red Hulk. His Marvel Cinematic Universe future after Brave New World is also unclear.
Despite being one of the earliest comic characters to appear in the MCU, Thaddeus Ross has only played a supporting role thus far. The character’s transformation into Red Hulk in Captain America 4 will also mark their transformation into an actual villain. The film will also serve as Harrison Ford’s Marvel debut, taking over the role from late actor William Hurt, who first played the character in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.
