Planet Hulk has fast become the equivalent of a white whale for Marvelites over the past few years, given the studio has repeatedly shot down reports suggesting a standalone feature for Bruce Banner’s rage monster was in the works – let alone one revolving around his exile to a far-flung alien planet.
Nevertheless, there have been fleeting rumors that director Taika Waititi will incorporate the spirit of Planet Hulk into next year’s anticipated threequel Thor: Ragnarok.
Much of that will revolve around the core dynamic between Mark Ruffalo’s alter-ego and Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, and while speaking to Collider, Waititi noted that the script is currently a stage where both he and scribe Stephany Folsom are beginning to scatter the humorous elements across Hulk’s trip to Asgard.
“I love that one moment in Avengers when Hulk grabs Loki and rag dolls him. It lends itself to great humor, do you read those comic books? They’re wacky. They’re crazy. I think that‘s exactly what they need, to keep changing it up. They’ve got their dark films, some are more serious, and I think it’s great that they’re mixing it up. I really want to inject my style of humor into this.”
Further in the piece, the director teased some of the experimentation currently going on within Marvel Studios and that, contrary to popular belief, the production company is really rather flexible when it comes to its marquee releases.
“I’ve learned that there are really no rules. There’s no road map. They’re very similar to Pixar in that way. They are constantly looking for the best story, they’ll tear everything down to rebuild it to make sure they have the best story. That’s why Marvel is good, they keep pushing and pushing and trying to get the best thing possible. That’s what I’ve discovered the way things have changed.”
But will such a creative freedom pave the groundwork for a Hulk solo film? Time will tell. In a separate interview with Yahoo, however, Ruffalo himself assured fans that Bruce Banner’s musclebound Avengers will have a major role all across Ragnarok and both installments of Avengers: Infinity War, to the point where Hulk’s arc will be tantamount to a standalone film.
“We’ve worked a really interesting arc into Thor 3, Avengers 3 and 4 for Banner that I think will – when it’s all added up – will feel like a Hulk movie, a standalone movie.”
Thor: Ragnarok will open on November 3, 2017.
