Warning! This article contains spoilers for She-Hulk's season finale.The Avengers onwards.
All of this, combined with one specific line in reference to the Hulk's offscreen space journey in She-Hulk, all but confirms that a Hulk solo movie could be on the way from Marvel Studios. The line in question comes after KEVIN, the hilarious AI MCU version of Marvel President Kevin Feige, its that Bruce's story was going to be revealed in the finale. In response to this, Jen simply replies "Save it for the movie." While this could be another throwaway line in reference to fan theories like She-Hulk episode 8's meta Red Hulk reference, it could also hint that Marvel Studios are developing a Hulk movie behind the scenes.
Why A Solo Hulk Movie Hasn't Happened Since 2008
This would be long overdue for the MCU, with the Hulk's journey only being told by his appearance in other movies since 2008. Hulk's arc in the MCU in recent years was told through his appearances in Avengers: Age of Ultron, She-Hulk, with the character not appearing in his own movie since 2008's The Incredible Hulk. The main reason behind this comes from Marvel not actually owning the distribution rights for the character, with those still belonging to Universal Studios. This means that similar yet with a few tweaks to Marvel Studios' deal with Sony over Spider-Man, they cannot create a Hulk-centric film without the final say from Universal. This, however, does not apply to multi-character films, which explains why Hulk was able to appear in plenty of MCU films, just not as the central character.
Is A New Hulk Movie Happening In The MCU? What We Know
All that being said, the combination of Marvel Studios' hints throughout She-Hulk combined with knowledge of the deal surrounding Universal, Disney, and the Hulk, (explained by Hulk's son Skaar, could point to the very real possibility of a Hulk movie in the MCU.
What Would A Hulk Movie Look Like?
This begs the question then, of what an MCU Hulk movie would entail given that one has not been seen since 2008 when the MCU was in its infancy. Well, if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is anything to go by, there could be some very specific comic-book runs of the Hulk that could serve as the basis for the MCU's Hulk movie. These comic stories are none other than Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, two of the most well-known Hulk stories. Many were excited upon seeing the trailers for Thor: Ragnarok, which hinted at a potential Planet Hulk storyline and movie for the MCU. However, despite taking some very loose inspiration from the comics such as Hulk's time as a gladiator, it was mostly a disappointment for those looking for a proper Planet Hulk movie.
However, with the elements introduced in She-Hulk, Marvel Studios have the basis for a Planet Hulk storyline that could even go on to tie into a World War Hulk movie. The very basic premise of Planet Hulk involves Hulk being exiled to Sakaar, where he becomes a gladiator for Red King before escaping servitude and going to war with him. Hulk wins and begins ruling Sakaar, wedding a character named Caiera, and having a son named Skaar in the process. Most, if not all, of these elements are in place in the MCU for a Planet Hulk film and even World War Hulk in the MCU beyond that. Naturally, as is par for the course with the MCU, some changes would have to be made as Hulk has already been to Sakaar in the MCU's past. However, She-Hulk establishing Hulk going back to Sakaar after episode 1 and then returning with a son could very well mean he engaged in a journey similar to Planet Hulk in the meantime which would provide a perfect basis for a Hulk MCU movie.
Again, some changes would have to be made, such as Hulk already having conceived Skaar during his first stint on Sakaar that occurred between the events of Age of Ultron's ending and Thor: Ragnarok. However, it would be easy enough for Marvel Studios to work around the slight change in events in order to bring a story resembling Planet Hulk to life, leading to a cosmic Hulk adventure in the MCU. All of this is arguably the main way She-Hulk: Attorney at Law established future stories for the MCU, with the majority of the finale being perfectly self-contained in a way that only this character could allow.
