Where Will Mark Ruffalo's Hulk Show Up Next?

One of the biggest questions (both literally and figuratively) to close out Avengers: Age of Ultron was the Hulk, and where he'll end next. With nothing but an endless sky of possibilities in front of him, the Jade Giant truly put his future in his own hands. Of course, now fans are dying to know where he'll pop up next. And while Nick Fury may be right, and the Hulk really is just sipping a cold one in Fiji, ComicBook.com is offering five other opportunities for Bruce Banner and the Big Guy to reappear.

Surprise Cameo In Civil War

While the Hulk wasn't a part of the original Marvel Comics storyline, there's reason for Marvel Studios to defect from the source material and place the Hulk somewhere in Captain America and Tony Stark's feud. Perhaps seeing the Civil War unfold will call Hulk out of hiding and into action for his super-powered community. Naturally, that then raises the questions of which side he'd choose. He may be Tony Stark's biggest science bro, but Bruce Banner even questioned some of Tony's decisions in Age of Ultron. It depends on how extreme Tony gets in enacting the superhuman registration act. Regardless of where his allegiances lie,  we could definitely see Hulk pop in for the final battle.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Since Hulk was last seen on a SHIELD jet, there's chance that he could take it into space long enough to hitch a ride with an actual spacecraft. And once Hulk's in the far reaches of space, he could easily cross paths with the Guardians of the Galaxy. At this point, Hulk would be Banner, which would create some terrific interaction between him and Star-Lord's band of miscreants. Imagine how a man of science would react to a talking tree and raccoon? But naturally, we'd want to see the other guy appear as well, and challenge Drax's position as the team's toughest green guy. 

Planet Hulk Spinoff

Though it wouldn't come until 2020 or later, Planet Hulk is still on many fans' minds. As a variation on the "space theory," Hulk could just as easily crash land on the war planet that Greg Pak made famous during his seminal Planet Hulk comics storyline. What if the war planet had a strange atmospheric change on Hulk, preventing him from turning back to Banner? With that set-up Hulk could enjoy a visceral movie stuffed with what he does best--smashing. Most can agree that the best parts of a Hulk movie are when he's clobbering things, so why not have an entire film dedicated to that? Plus, Marvel could use Planet Hulk as a gateway to even more cosmic properties.  

Doctor Strange

Then again, maybe Hulk will hide right underneath the Avenger's noses at Doctor Strange's New York City flat. If he accepts that science will never cure him of the Big Guy, Banner could seek supernatural remedies with the sorcerer supreme. Banner is usually a man of science, but the idea of living a normal life with Black Widow could be the push he needs to think outside the box.  And once Banner's with Strange, you can bet your gamma-irradiated dollar that he'd go on some dimension hopping excursions. #MysticBros?

Avengers: Infinity War

The most likely possibility, however, is that Marvel will Banner for their grand Phase 3 finale—Infinity War. After staying off the board for four years, Hulk could make a dramatic re-entrance into the Avengers' lives. And with such a massive time gap between now and Infinity War, Banner could easily explain that he was off doing his Planet Hulk thing during that absence. That could set up a flashback Planet Hulk movie for Phase 4, or something else. But with Thanos threatening all of existence with the Infinity Gauntlet, Marvel's heroes are going to need every ounce of help they can get. To think that Hulk wouldn't be on the front lines of this universe-defining event would be foolish.

But what say you, readers? Where do you think The Hulk could pop up next? Let us know in the comments below!