The finer details around a solo Hulk film have emerged.

It’s safe to say that Disney didn’t hold back on ground-breaking details on upcoming projects from the recent D23 Expo.

A recent Variety report with Mark Ruffalo has been making its rounds on the net recently, regarding the possibility of a solo Hulk film. In it, he quotes that “…a standalone Hulk movie will never happen. Because Universal has the rights to a standalone Hulk movie, and for some reason, they don’t know how to play well with Marvel.”

Obviously, this stirred up a lot of controversy online.

Many expressed their disappointment, while many took to social media to express their relief with not having to sit through a Hulk solo film.

The Incredible Hulk has always been a fan-favourite character, ever since his debut in 1962, created by Marvel legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Through his smashing success (geddit?), he was made into a permanent member of the Avengers, even though only being initially restricted to a six-issued series.

The Hulk will forever remain as many fan’s favourite character, myself included, but I think it’s time we asked:

“Do we really need another Hulk solo film?”

On the one hand, the complication between Bruce Banner and the Hulk has lead to many compelling character arcs and storylines. Arguably, the most popular interpretation within the Hulk franchise was in fact Planet Hulk. I mean who doesn’t want to see Hulk fight gladiator battles in space? But it’s not just action that Planet Hulk provides, it’s an exploration into the Hulk’s place in the Marvel universe and him being outcasted by other Marvel heroes like Tony Stark.

A cult-classic.Source: Marvel

It was exciting to comprehend that we would be getting a Planet Hulk story-line on the big screen within the Marvel universe. His disappearance in the Avengers recently has been proven to make Hulk fans eager to anticipate when they would see him next. Thankfully, we’ll be getting to see all that mixed in with Thor: Ragnarok.

Being blatantly obvious, Hulk and Thor have always been one of the weakest characters in the MCU in terms of a solo film. Both often don’t earn as much as their other superhero companions, like a Captain America or an Iron Man film.

In addition, most critics and audience members alike would agree that The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Thor: The Dark World (2013) are comparatively not as great when compared to other Marvel additions. Both films currently stand as Marvel’s weakest films on Rotten Tomatoes.

Not Marvel’s strongest players…Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Hulk and Thor can always be people’s favourite characters, but it’s hard to argue with the facts that they are MCU’s weaker characters.

Which brings me to my final argument around a Hulk Solo film.

The Hulk may be a cool character, but I don’t believe that a solid film can be sustained with the likes of the Hulk. At least, not in a style that the MCU would be happy to produce. A good story needs a character that we can either relate to or sympathise with, that way we care about everything that our protagonist undergoes or faces. I don’t know if that works when our protagonist is a giant green rampaging monster.

The Incredible Hulk.Source: Marvel Studios

Even the original issue was limited to a six-issue series. After his character gained traction and popularity, he was added as a permanent side character to the Avengers.

Bruce Banner brings the humanity to the Hulk, fleshing out this inner-conflict that he battles within.

The Incredible Hulk could be considered as the modern day Dr Jerkyl and Mr Hyde. But there’s only so many times that we can see Banner fight the Hulk, and after the questionable success of the last three interpretations, I don’t think the MCU is about to make the same mistake again.

Long story short, we don’t need another solo Hulk film.

The many versions of Hulk.Source: Pinterest

Now, that’s not to say that we don’t want to see one. Hell, I want to see a more horror-themed and intense Hulk movie. But we have to understand that Universal Studios isn’t always going to cooperate. Even if we do get another Hulk film, it’s probably not going to be the one we want. Or a good one. At the end of the day, I think it’s better that he stay a secondary character and a worthy member of the Avengers, when he comes back that is.

He’ll be back.Source: Daily Express