Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Teases Future Plans for Hulk

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says leftover ideas pitched by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo “would still be cool to see someday,” hinting the character could return after Avengers: Endgame.

“Many years ago, Mark came in for a meeting with us at Marvel Studios to discuss ways in which the Hulk could grow and evolve in upcoming films,” Feige wrote during a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session when asked about the trajectory Ruffalo envisioned for Bruce Banner.

“He pitched a lot of cool ideas, some of which led to what you saw in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, and some of which would still be cool to see someday.”

Feige in 2017 said he wouldn’t call Ragnarok and the two-part Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame “an unofficial Hulk trilogy,” but did say “there is a character arc for Hulk within those three movies that, yes, track together by design.”

The producer went on to credit Ruffalo, who succeeded The Incredible Hulk star Edward Norton in the role, for adding an extra layer of depth to the character, who evolves from unwillingly transforming into his green-skinned alter ego to reaching a compromise that sees the two achieve harmony when merged as an intelligent Hulk in Endgame.

“Ruffalo is a master at not going deep and dark, but taking that inner pain and kind of trying to become zen about it. We saw that in Avengers 1, where Tony Stark is screwing around and poking him with something and saying, oh, careful, and he goes, ‘I can handle pointy things.’ He’s much more zen about it. His secret is he’s always angry,’” Feige said.

“I think it’s just a much more charismatic and engaging way to see it. I’ve always wanted Hulk to talk more than he has and find the right circumstances, and finally we see that here.”

Feige earlier admitted he “[doesn’t] know if [another Hulk standalone] will ever happen,” due to legal entanglements with rival Universal Pictures, who retain the right to distribute any solo Hulk movie produced by Disney-owned Marvel Studios.

Universal previously distributed 2003’s Hulk and Marvel Studios’ sophomore effort, The Incredible Hulk, in 2008.

Though the deal prohibits Disney from distributing any Hulk-led movie, Hulk and ancillary characters — including Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), who appeared in Captain America: Civil War and both Infinity War and Endgame — are free for use in other projects set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.