The Marvel Cinematic Universe might be setting up a true Planet Hulk movie after She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Even though Marvel has seemingly started to move past the original Avengers, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk remains a prominent character in Phase 4. She-Hulk theoretically introduces his replacement with Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), but the Disney+ show also is taking major steps to bring back the original Hulk. The latest teases could mean that the MCU is preparing for a Planet Hulk movie.

There has long been speculation that Marvel Studios was eying a Planet Hulk adaptation. Avengers: Age of Ultron's ending saw Hulk fly off in a quinjet, and it was theorized that a trip to space may have been in the cards. Kevin Feige went as far as changing the sequence to try and avoid the Planet Hulk speculation, but Thor: Ragnarok ultimately proved it was somewhat warranted. The MCU Phase 3 movie borrowed concepts from the Planet Hulk comic storyline by putting Hulk on Sakaar and in the middle of gladiator-style fights. Since Hulk was just a supporting character and Sakaar a secondary location in Thor: Ragnarok, the movie did not really have time to get into the real essence of the comic event.

The days of a Planet Hulk adaptation seemed to be in the past, especially as Smart Hulk's form continued to become the dominant version of the Jade Giant. She-Hulk's use of Hulk has notably teased quite a few potential storylines for the MCU. While speculation has mounted that a version of World War Hulk could be on the way, Marvel's Hulk plans might instead be focused on Planet Hulk instead. This especially seems to be the case after She-Hulk episode 2 confirms Hulk has left Earth behind, seemingly indicating that a proper Planet Hulk adaptation could be coming.

Where Is Hulk Going At The End Of She-Hulk Episode 2?

The very end of She-Hulk episode 2 shows Hulk is back in space and heading off on a new adventure. The revelation builds off She-Hulk episode 1's car crash caused by a Sakaaran spaceship. It seems that Hulk finally received the message and figured out how important it is, resulting in him hopping aboard for a trip. The most likely answer to where Hulk is going in She-Hulk episode 2's ending is Sakaar. The spaceship is from Sakaar and is responsible for delivering messages, but now it seems that it is transporting Hulk back to Grandmaster's planet. Sakaar is not only the location Hulk lived on for years between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok, but it is also the central location of the Planet Hulk comics.

Planet Hulk Explained

The Marvel Comics event known as Planet Hulk is a 14-issue run from writer Greg Pak that began in 2006's Incredible Hulk #92. The event begins after a Gamma bomb causes Hulk to lose control and attack Las Vegas. Deemed too big of a threat to Earth, Marvel's Illuminati tricks him into a mission that ends with Hulk being sent through space to a new planet, Sakaar. Hulk is then forced to compete in gladiator battles for Sakaar's emperor, the Red King, and forms a rebellion with fellow fighters like Miek and Korg. He goes on to fight Silver Surfer and rises to power to be viewed as Sakaar's savior. The Planet Hulk comics story ultimately sees Hulk fall in love with the Red King's lieutenant, Caiera, and they team up to defeat Sakaar's ruler. Marvel later revealed that during this time on Sakaar he secretly fathered two children, Hulk's sons Skaar and Hiro-Kala. Tragedy strikes when the jet that brought Hulk to Sakaar explodes and kills Caiera. Hulk blames the Illuminati for her death and Sakaar's destruction, inspiring him to mount a revenge trip to Earth to fight the Illuminati in World War Hulk.

How The MCU Has Been Setting Up Planet Hulk

The MCU's Planet Hulk set up has been somewhat limited beyond what was presented in Thor: Ragnarok. There have even been quotes from Kevin Feige saying he is not especially interested in a Planet Hulk movie because it does not involve Bruce Banner, and the Marvel Studios president likes exploring his humanity more. However, that could be one reason for the MCU's recent Smart Hulk changes. She-Hulk healed Bruce Banner's arm so Smart Hulk could have his full strength again, which also allowed Marvel to bring back Hulk's fighting. It would be odd for Marvel to take these steps and then not unleash a full-strength Hulk. Doing so on Earth could be catastrophic, but that is why Sakaar and Planet Hulk could work.

It is quite possible that the MCU's Planet Hulk movie could be a combination of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk from the comics. A film following Hulk going to Sakaar to defeat an evil overlord could incorporate Planet Hulk's elements, but the revenge aspect brought from Hulk's previous time on the planet and the possible addition of Skaar can make it be a bit more like World War Hulk. She-Hulk: Attorney At Law sending Hulk back into space clearly sets up something, and it might just be Planet Hulk when everything is said and done.

New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law release on Thursdays on Disney+.

Bruce Banner's son, Skaar, has been rumored to be making an appearance in some capacity in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law since last year. Shortly after that report, rumors of a World War Hulk movie being in development appeared, making Skaar's inclusion make even more sense.

Fans have already seen a possible hint to Skaar through the Sakaar spaceship that appeared in the first episode of She-Hulk. Banner even told Jennifer that it was "probably trying to deliver a message" and that he'd "get to the bottom of that." Could this message involve an estranged child he had when he was stuck as the Hulk for over two years on Sakaar?

In surprisingly related news, in 2019, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was promoted to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel, meaning that all key creative executives in film, television, and publishing would report directly to him and vice-versa. Since then, the comics division of Marvel has been far more persistent in including synergy with films.

So, it's funny how it seems its attempts at synergy with Marvel Studios may have inadvertently spoiled the reveal of Skaar in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Marvel Comics Spoils She-Hulk Through Synergy?

In the first week of August, Marvel announced that there would be a five-issue sequel to writer Greg Pak's famous "Planet Hulk" comic series releasing this November titled "Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker."

Pak will be returning to write this sequel series that will explore an alternate future of Sakaar taking place thousands of years in the future.

The timing of this comic announcement is interesting, considering it comes just before the release of She-Hulk on Disney+, which also seems to be prominently hinting at a Sakaar plot through the return of a ship from the junk planet.

However, this is far from the first time that Marvel has attempted synergy with Marvel Studios, such as giving Jane Foster another go as The Mighty Thor in anticipation of Thor: Love and Thunder, the announcement of another sequel series based on the comic book event "Secret Invasion," and a new writer for "Fantastic Four" with Reed Richards finally losing his beard after more than half a decade.

So, does this new return to Sakaar spoil Skaar's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Hulk Returns to Sakaar?

It seems inevitable now that Bruce Banner will return to Sakaar again in the MCU, where he was stuck as Hulk for more than two years and, during that time, likely had a son: Skaar. As time passes, it seems more and more likely that The Direct's previous report about Hulk's estranged son appearing in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is coming to fruition.

Marvel wouldn't go out of their way to return Hulk to Sakaar in the comics if it wasn't going to have a more significant presence in the MCU, especially when it's likely that this new comic series will include Skaar as at least a supporting character, as he was conceived on Sakaar when Hulk was exiled from Earth.

As for Skaar's role in She-Hulk, it's still uncertain, but the first episode specifically went out of its way to have Bruce mention his intention to look into the mysterious Sakaar ship. So, there is clearly more planned for the Strongest Avenger in the future of the MCU.

For now, fans can continue watching She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, every Thursday on Disney+, to find out when and if Skaar will make his MCU debut.

After their respective announcements, both She-Hulk and Thunderbolts can lead the MCU towards a worthwhile adaptation of the Marvel Comics story arc "World War Hulk." On the one hand, there is a case to be made that it is too late for a World War Hulk MCU movie. In Thor: Ragnarok, the Marvel Cinematic Universe already succeeded in adapting Marvel Comics' "Planet Hulk" storyline, which was the setup to "World War Hulk." On the other, despite Bruce Banner seemingly being in full control of Hulk's powers and destructive nature, the events in She-Hulk suggest that World War Hulk can still happen on Earth-199999 (MCU).

Notably, She-Hulk seems to have much more control over her powers compared to when Banner first became Hulk. Not only is she stronger, she also doesn't have Hulk's split personality problem. The implication is that She-Hulk will somehow result in Banner being forced to confront and investigate his Hulk persona instead of just repressing it. This is the first time that the MCU has hinted at an actual explanation for why Banner was almost killed by using Tony Stark's Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Endgame, or how Hulk was nearly knocked out by the God of Thunder in Ragnarok's Thor vs Hulk fight. With both Hulk and Banner actively working against each other inside their shared mind, the Incredible Hulk might not be operating at 100% - at least not yet.

She-Hulk could have bypassed this problem because she gained gamma radiation powers differently, and Banner looking into these possibilities could allow the Hulk persona to resurface again - setting the stage for a World War Hulk MCU film. This is further supported by the fact that Thunderbolts is the final movie in the MCU Phase 5 slate. Thunderbolts is based on the seminal Marvel Comics antihero team-up of the same name, which first appeared in "Incredible Hulk #449," and at one point was led by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, also known as Red Hulk. Banner being somehow involved in Thunderbolts would not only pay homage to the passing of Thunderbolt Ross actor William Hurt, but also Ross' version of the team in Marvel Comics. In the MCU, this could all lead to the perfect future storyline for Bruce Banner, Marvel's biggest and baddest antihero - both in the comics and in the original MCU Avengers lineup.

How The MCU Can Set Up A World War Hulk Movie

As Banner tells his cousin Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk, "Jen, when you have powers like this, it's like putting a target on your back and the backs of all the people you care about." Indeed, Hulk decided to leave Earth after Avengers: Age of Ultron because Banner and Hulk could at least agree on one thing: his presence endangers everyone on the planet, for which Banner will always be targeted and vilified. Now, Banner seems fully in control of Hulk, able to repress any and all tendencies to suddenly transform into an Avengers-level threat. However, She-Hulk being seemingly stronger than Hulk and not having her cousin's split personality problems could prompt Banner to take another look at his and Hulk's relationship. This could allow the movies to tackle Hulk and Banner's personalities as deeply as in the comics, which essentially lays the groundwork for the World War Hulk MCU movie.

Banner and Hulk have always been at odds, but they also fully cooperated during "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk," during which the Hulk was capable of previously impossible feats like knocking out the Sentry or actually invading Earth. In the MCU, it's not out of the question for Banner to finally deduce that there is a corelation between the limits of his powers and how he treats Hulk. This could also explain why Banner was seriously hurt after using the MCU Infinity Stones, which technically radiate gamma energy, the same type of radiation that gave Bruce and She-Hulk their powers. After She-Hulk, Banner/Hulk could go into exile once more - only to return just in time for Thunderbolts, another key setup to the World War Hulk MCU film.

Will Thunderbolts Lead To World War Hulk?

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is currently the most likely character to become the leader of the Thunderbolts, and whether Bruce is on Earth or not, Val will undoubtedly be looking to recruit Marvel's original and most powerful antihero. Though this seems unlikely due to the Thunderbolts being composed of people like John Walker, Baron Zemo, the Abomination, and Val herself, this also provides the perfect mystery about what could possibly convince Banner to become part of this questionable lineup. Curiously, Val could use Yelena Belova - Black Widow's sister - to somehow leverage Banner's feelings about Natasha's sacrifice and recruit him into the MCU Thunderbolts cast. Being manipulated by the Thunderbolts for whatever purpose could be what finally forces Banner and Hulk to cooperate in order to prevent anyone from controlling them ever again.

Is Hulk's First Solo Movie In MCU Phase 7?

She-Hulk and Thunderbolts' World War Hulk MCU movie setup even lines up with the yet-unannounced 2026 projects for MCU Phase 7. After Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU will need a much more complex villain than even Kang the Conqueror, a role that could be filled by a version of Bruce Banner that's more faithful to the comic books. Unfortunately for Banner, this could lead to the emergence of even more dangerous personalities like the Immortal Hulk a.k.a Devil Hulk, a spiteful beast that is extremely protective of Banner. Even worse, Banner/Hulk could get overtaken by Titan, a malicious monster with superior control over Hulk and She-Hulk's gamma-irradiated blood, including the ability to give Banner the strength and endurance of Hulk without the need to transform. Banner could soon become the most dangerous variant of himself, and whether his actions will be justified, World War Hulk is inevitable. "World War Hulk" is easily one of the most challenging comic book stories to adapt for either film or television, and the massive world-building required to pull it off in the MCU could be the reason why Ruffalo's Hulk is the only Avenger who is yet to have his own solo movie or series.