Doctor Strange 2 Changes How MCU's World War Hulk Would Work
The story Marvel is telling in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness changes how a World War Hulk adaptation would work in the MCU. Several months ago, a World War Hulk movie was reportedly in development at Marvel Studios. But even if it’s not part of Marvel’s current plan, it’s still something that could eventually happen in the MCU’s future.
In the comics, World War Hulk was a story about the Green Goliath seeking revenge on the Illuminati after they shot him into space. That hasn’t happened to Hulk in the movies, but could still take place at some point down the line. If so, Marvel would have an opportunity to have its own take on the World War Hulk comic with a Phase 5 crossover of epic proportions. Multiple heroes could unite to take a stand against the Hulk once he returns to Earth. This scenario will be on the table for as long as Mark Ruffalo remains in the MCU. In fact, the possibility exists for it to be set up at least partially in Disney+’s She-Hulk show.
Interestingly, Hulk’s mission will have to be different from the comics because of Doctor Strange 2. The presence of Patrick Stewart’s Professor X strongly hints at Marvel introducing the Illuminati in the movie. The implication of the movie’s trailer is that rather than be depicted as a gathering of the Earth’s biggest superhero team leaders, the Illuminati will consist of characters from different worlds in Marvel’s multiverse. From the looks of things, Professor X from Fox’s X-Men movies and the MCU’s Baron Mordo will represent their respective worlds. The issue with this is that it changes the Illuminati so much that the group sending Hulk to space would no longer make sense.
If the purpose of the MCU’s Illuminati is to safeguard the multiverse, the Hulk’s rampages on one Earth sounds like a trivial matter in comparison to what they’re dealing with in Doctor Strange 2. If their goals are to stop large-scale threats that put entire timelines at stake, many of the problems they were involved in the comics would likely fall under their radar if they happened in the MCU. This would certainly be the case with the Hulk, which means that the Illuminati won’t have any reason to target him in a future movie. To make World War Hulk work, Marvel will have to pick a different group of characters to fill their role.
Removing the Illuminati would change a great deal, but it wouldn’t ruin the story. World War Hulk centered on the Hulk’s efforts to individually find and defeat each of its members. Since all were well-defended, formidable heroes in positions of power (such as Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, and Namor the Sub-Mariner), accomplishing his goal was filled with obstacles. But despite Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Illuminati change, the Hulk can still have this mission in the MCU; his targets just can’t be the same team. Instead, it may be that a potential World War Hulk movie would pit him against the American government or the Avengers.