Why the Hulk Should Be in ‘Ant-Man 3’

Following expansive universe-wide crossover Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios is likely to [...]

Following expansive universe-wide crossover Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios is likely to scale back its future team-ups and pair off its heroes as it did Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in Thor: Ragnarok — and if he survives his return in Avengers 4, we think the not-so-jolly green giant should next land in Ant-Man 3.

The Hulk has been relegated to supporting player due to messy legal entanglements with rival studio Universal Pictures, who retain the right to distribute any solo Hulk movie produced by Disney-owned Marvel Studios.

Marvel is able to circumvent restrictions on the character by having Hulk appear only in franchises where he's not the lead — like Avengers and Thor — freeing the character from outside involvement, as was the case in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

Hulk was given a multi-film arc weaved throughout Ragnarok, Infinity War, and the upcoming Avengers 4, and presuming his survival in the latter, it can be expected his story will continue to unfold in other guest spots as even Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige admitted he "[doesn't] know if [another Hulk standalone] will ever happen."

Hulk's cinematic journey mirrored that of his comic book counterpart: the character headlined his own series, The Incredible Hulk, for just six issues before the book was cancelled in 1963.

He then resurfaced in other books, making guest appearances in The Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man, and emerged as a founding member of Earth's mightiest heroes in the pages of The Avengers before ditching the team in their fifth issue.

17 months after Incredible Hulk's cancellation, Hulk found a new home in the pages of anthology series Tales to Astonish — a series that served as a spotlight for Hank Pym's superheroics as Ant-Man, and later Giant-Man, from issues #35—58.

In 1964, Giant-Man clashed with the Hulk in Tales to Astonish #59, and by issue #60, the comic transformed into a split book featuring two stories — one featuring the Hulk and the other featuring Giant-Man. This tenure lasted until issue #70, which transitioned to Hulk sharing the book with Namor the Submariner until issue #102, when the book was retitled as The Incredible Hulk Vol. 2.

Tales to Astonish 60
(Photo: Marvel Comics)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) similarly alternates between the ant-sized superhero and the skyscraper-tall Giant Man, and Hulk migrating into a second Ant-Man sequel would act as both a homage to the characters' shared history in the pages of Tales to Astonish as well as serve as a natural landing point for Hulk's human alter-ego, Bruce Banner.

As one of the preeminent genius minds in the entire MCU, Bruce Banner could prove a useful asset for similarly big-brained scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his like-minded familial unit, freshly-returned wife Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), who continue to navigate the mysteries of the uncharted Quantum Realm.

"I think we are all interested in doing one. There is a story to tell there. Definitely," Ant-Man director Peyton Reed told The Hollywood Reporter of an Ant-Man and the Wasp follow-up. "There is a story we've talked about potentially. I'm very, very hopeful."

In the meantime, Hulk and Ant-Man headlined a 2016 Super Bowl ad — Hulk vs. Ant-Man — that pitted the two superheroes against one another over the possession of a prized mini-sized can of Coca Cola.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is now playing. Avengers 4 opens May 3, 2019.

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