With Marvel setting a host of release dates through to 2019, there’s a lot of expectation that the studio will take the opportunity to announce its Phase Three line-up this coming Saturday at the San Diego Comic-Con International. Among the contenders for the slate of as-yet-unrevealed movies is another standalone feature for The Incredible Hulk – and of course, when there’s talk of a Hulk movie, those Planet Hulk rumours are never far away. Well, chatting with IGN, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has once again poured water on the speculation:
“I think what’s cool about the Planet Hulk story is it’s all Hulk. He’s a gladiator, he’s fighting all these creatures on another world. Yes, some of those creatures show up in [Guardians of the Galaxy], which makes people think, ‘Oh, maybe it could exist.’ And maybe it could exist, someday. I don’t think that’s the first place we would go though for the very reason that you stated, which is, if we were ever able to do a standalone Hulk movie, 60 percent of the fun would be seeing Mark Ruffalo leading a Marvel movie — and that’s what we would do if we ever went down that road.”
So, again, it looks like we’ll not be getting Planet Hulk any time soon, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out those recent rumours about The Hulk heading out into space for an adventure with the Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, right? Well according to director James Gunn, that – and indeed the entire Planet Hulk rumour – is “bullshit”…
“I can answer that question very easily: it is absolute, 100% bullshit,” Gunn tells The Playlist. “It feels like a great relief to finally say this after all the dumb stuff on the Internet. There’s not going to be a Planet Hulk movie, there was never going to be a Planet Hulk movie, there was never plan for the Hulk to team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy – I wouldn’t want the Hulk to team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy! And it’s all a bunch of complete bullshit.”
So, that conclusive enough?
Originally published July 21, 2014. Updated January 18, 2020.
