It has been 4 days since ‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ premiered with its first episode on Disney+ worldwide. There were many easter eggs, callbacks, and references to the world of MCU and Marvel comics. Our website has already covered callbacks to the OG Avengers in the episode. Check it out here.
The 9-episode show follows Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters (aka She-Hulk), juggling through the life of a superhero and her career as a lawyer. However, rumors on the Internet and a surprising Easter egg in the first episode hints at the series setting up a Hulk solo outing — World War Hulk.
World War Hulk in Marvel Comics
The World War Hulk was a viral comic run that was published in the period of May – November 2007. It was written by Greg Pak and is a sequel to the events of Planet Hulk. It consisted of five main issues titled World War Hulk and three other limited series: World War Hulk: Front Line, World War Hulk: Gamma Corps, and World War Hulk: X-Men.
The comic begins with the Illuminati members (Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, and Black Bolt) banishing Hulk from Earth. He lands on Planet Sakaar. Hulk eventually takes over Sakaar and marries a woman named Caiera. However, Caiera and their unborn child both die—when the ship that originally brought Hulk to Sakaar explodes. Blaming the Illuminati for her death, and more powerful than ever because of his time spent absorbing the radiation levels on Planet Sakaar, Hulk returns to Earth for revenge with his allies.
He wreaked havoc and fought multiple battles across the glob with Avengers, X-men, Young Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the Gamma Corps. Instead of killing them, he forced them to become gladiators and fight for his amusement. The run eventually ends with the Hulk reverting to his Bruce Banner form, and being imprisoned in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility deep underground.
The Message
The first major hint was the scene where a spaceship emerges in the middle of the road. This draws the car with Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) and Bruce Banner (Hulk) going off-road leading to a tragic accident, injuring both of them. It leads to Banner’s blood mixing with Jennifer’s, giving her the ‘Hulk-like’ powers. After gaining her consciousness, when Jen (Jennifer) asks Bruce if they really had hit a ship, Bruce replies by saying that “they were probably trying to deliver a message.”
If Marvel is really heading towards the World War Hulk storyline, then this could be a great opportunity for them. As the message that Bruce talks about might be about Skaar – the son of Hulk, while he was at Planet Sakaar. In this case, this would be the two years time that Bruce spent at Skaar in Hulk form, during the events of Thor: Ragnarok. In it, Hulk was one of the prime gladiators of the arena of Grandmaster. He was later rescued by Thor and Valkyrie.
However, the inclusion of this scene surely hints toward Marvel setting up some kind of reckoning with the Hulk’s time on Sakaar. Smart-Hulk (as Bruce calls himself in Hulk form now) will surely investigate the matter.
The Blood
In the episode, once Bruce had explained She-Hulk about her powers and the uniqueness in her DNA, he destroys the remaining vials of Jennifer’s blood. He explains this by saying, “even if there’s only a millionth percent chance of it making another one of us.”
World War Hulk comic event also followed the origin of Red Hulk and depowering of Bruce Banner. It also focused on the Red Hulk wanting to create an army of Hulks to take over the world. Now that She-Hulk is also part of the MCU, the chances of Hulk’s blood falling into the wrong hands have become more possible. Maybe more versions of Hulks are on their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) coming phases.
The Problem
Back in 2006, Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures made a deal, renegotiating their rights to the Hulk character. This led to the making of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton playing the titular character. The movie was in the MCU timeline but did not perform well. Later Norton was replaced by Mark Ruffalo to play the character in 2012’s Avengers.
Without the nod of Universal, Marvel is bound to use Hulk only as a secondary character in his movies. That is why so far there haven’t been any new solo Hulk movies. However, Ruffalo himself has gone on the record expressing his interest to star in his own Hulk film.
With so many secret projects still in the court of Marvel, a World War Hulk movie could very well happen in the future. All it would need is just the right amount of stardust. Planet Hulk has already been adapted in Ragnarok, and that Sakaarian spaceship dredging up Hulk’s unfinished business might be the greatest hint. However, it is still unclear if that would happen in the current The Multiverse Saga or after it. Whenever and however it happens, it shall probably be one of the greatest treats for all the ‘Big-Green-Guy’ fans around the globe.
