World War Hulk leak reveals a disappointing MCU update

Marvel Studios’ panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con brought fans a slew of exciting announcements. Not only did the studio announce the titles for its next two Avengers films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, but it also gave fans a much better idea of what films and TV shows they can expect to see throughout Phases 5 and 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel’s Comic-Con panel did not, however, confirm whether the studio plans on releasing any more Hulk-centric titles after She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In addition, a new update about Marvel’s long-rumored World War Hulk adaptation suggests that the studio may not have any serious plans for the Hulk moving forward.

An Update — In a recent tweet, well-known MCU leaker Charles Murphy revealed that they haven’t heard any new updates about Marvel’s rumored World War Hulk adaptation in over a year, despite constant inquiries into it. While Murphy doesn’t go so far as to actually state this conclusion, the implication is that Marvel may have chosen to abandon its World War Hulk adaptation, or at least put it on hold.

While this update will likely come as a disappointment to MCU fans, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given what Marvel Studios did reveal about the Multiverse Saga at San Diego Comic-Con last month.

Marvel’s Hulk Plans — During its recent Comic-Con panel, Marvel confirmed that Phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU will make up the Multiverse Saga. These new chapters, which will culminate in 2025 with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, will focus on building toward a massive multiversal conflict beyond the scope of what Marvel has already brought to life on-screen.

Along the way, Marvel is also going to continue bringing new characters and teams into the MCU with titles like Ironheart and Thunderbolts. However, while there are a number of open release slots in Marvel’s Phase 5 and 6 slates, it doesn’t seem like there’s any narrative room for a World War Hulk adaptation. The original World War Hulk comic book storyline pits multiple Marvel heroes against The Hulk, which means an adaptation would have to be a Captain America: Civil War-sized crossover title.

Right now, the only notable crossovers Marvel has in the works are Thunderbolts, Secret Invasion, The Kang Dynasty, The Marvels, and Secret Wars. And with titles like Shang-Chi 2, Deadpool 3, The Mutants, and Young Avengers all heavily rumored to fill some of the studio’s vacant Phase 5 and 6 slots, it’s hard to see how Marvel will have the time needed to develop and properly execute a World War Hulk story at any point over the next three years.

The Inverse Analysis — There’s still a lot we don’t know about Marvel’s Phase 5 and 6 plans, which means there’s still a chance the studio intends to release a World War Hulk adaptation by 2025. For all we know, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law could end by establishing the conflict.

However, it’s looking increasingly likely that Marvel has shelved its World War Hulk project for now. As a result, it seems possible that Marvel fans may not get to see another Hulk-centric MCU title after She-Hulk until Phase 7 of the MCU, assuming that Marvel hasn’t decided to abandon World War Hulk altogether. We’ll just have to wait and see.