Given JoBlo's pretty good track record when it comes to MCU scoops, this is something to consider.
Fans of Thor, Hulk, and “otherworldly” adventures, get ready to be happy.
The last time we saw ol' Bruce Banner/Hulk, he was flying off into the sunset in a Quinjet, which supposedly crashed in the ocean somewhere with no sign of the man or beast to be seen. This left a big question mark as to when or where the Hulk would reappear in the MCU prior to the obvious inclusion in THE AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR films. Well, wonder no more, my friends.
Hot on the heels of NYCC, we’ve gotten word from our inside sources that THOR: RAGNAROK will see Chris Hemsworth’s Thor team up with none other than Mark Ruffalo’s HULK for the Odinson's third solo film, which finds the God of Thunder facing what amounts to the Norse Apocalypse. Only this time out he'll have some help from a fellow Avenger.
Mark Ruffalo joins Tom Hiddleston (also confirmed by our sources) and Jaimie Alexander in RAGNAROK, which we’ve also heard will involve a “distant planet” that is "not Asgard and not Earth." What does that mean? Certainly the theory will be made that this is where Marvel will work in the long-rumored Planet Hulk storyline, and although we can’t completely verify that, we can’t completely deny it either. I’ll leave it to you on how you want to place your bets, but I know where my money is going. Regardless, Ruffalo is on board. As to how much time he’ll spend as Hulk vs. Banner, we can’t say, only that he’s absolutely part of the supporting cast and will feature prominently.
If you think about it, this makes perfect sense and is a smart move on Marvel’s part. It also follows the trend of folding more characters into these “solo” films, making them more of an ensemble. After the success of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER and the recent announcement of ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, not to mention the upcoming CIVIL WAR, it appears “ensemble” is the new “solo”. And, really, why wouldn’t it be? We’re long past the introduction of Nick Fury in the credits of IRON MAN. The MCU is established, so why not capitalize on it?
Given the amount of fun we’ve already had with both Thor and Hulk in THE AVENGERS, it feels like the perfect match up. Personally, I think it’s the smartest damn thing they could do with both characters, which have struggled to find footing in their solo expeditions. Also, who could forget their first onscreen team-up in 1988 for the TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns?
Ah, we've come a long way, no? Anyway, who else would you team Thor up with for a mythological venture in space? Captain America? Iron Man? Hawkeye? You need someone that can survive the harsher elements to traverse time and space without space suits, software, hardware, and, well, oxygen. Granted, it’s just fantasy, but it still needs to be somewhat sensible, even for a gamma-infected monster and a mythological god.
Although director James Gunn has denied the whole Planet Hulk thing being a part of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (calling it “…complete bullshit” in fact), that doesn’t leave out the possibility of a post-credits sequence that teases the green goliath on a “distant planet”, which would make sense seeing as THOR: RAGNAROK is the next in line after GUARDIANS 2. Seems like the perfect set up to me, while leaving Gunn to carry on his Guardians story without interference, which I think we can all agree would be best. Guess we'll have to wait and see on that. Either way, the Hulk will be back, thankfully sooner than later.
THOR: RAGNAROK, directed by Taika Waititi and starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, and Jaimie Alexander is slated to hit theaters on November 3, 2017.
Source: JoBlo
UPDATE: Deadline is also backing up the rumor, saying that Mark Ruffalo is about to seal the deal with Marvel Studios.
Marvel Studios is near a deal with Mark Ruffalo to bring his Hulk character to Thor: Ragnarok, the third installment of the series that stars Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-wielding Norse god. The film will be directed by Taika Waititi, the New Zealand-born filmmaker whose credits include the indie Eagle Vs Shark and last year’s Sundance vampire mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows. Thor: The Dark WorldDisney has set a November 3, 2017, release date for Thor 3.
Rumors of Ruffalo’s involvement are tearing up the geek sites, and it’s indeed happening. What I’m wondering is this: Of all the iterations of movies with the burly green guy, Ruffalo’s has been by far the best. So when is he going to get his own movie?
It's possible that Ruffalo just doesn’t have time to do more than shred shirts and pants in Avengers installments, as he spends most of it starring in awards-season films. His sensibilities are more toward indie fare than tentpole. Coming off a strong turn in Begin Again and into a heartbreaking performance as wrestler Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher, Ruffalo is at the center of the strong ensemble cast of Spotlight, the Tom McCarthy-directed film about the Boston Globe Spotlight team’s reporting that exposed the cover-up of pedophile priests by the Catholic Church in Boston. Open Road world-premiered the film to rousing response at the Venice Film Festival and releases the pic November 6.
Alan Taylor directed the most recent God of Thunder pic, Thor: The Dark World, which Disney released in November 2013 to a worldwide gross of $644.8M. That came after Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh, kicked things off in summer 2011, making $449.3M. Marvel has been masterful about cross-pollinating these franchises with its stable of stars, and Ruffalo’s presence could bring green to this sequel.
Ruffalo’s repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
UPDATE 2: Now Variety is backing up the rumor.
Mark Ruffalo is in final negotiations to appear as Bruce Banner, aka the Incredible Hulk, opposite Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” sources have confirmed.
Taika Waititi was recently tapped to direct the film which will start production in 2016.
Tom Hiddleston and Jaimie Alexander will also be back to star as Loki and Lady Sif, respectively.
The script for “Thor: Ragnarok” was written by Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle. Yost was a co-writer on “Thor: The Dark World.”
Plot details remain vague, other than that the film will take place somewhere other than Earth and Asgard. This will mark the first time Ruffalo will appear as the Hulk in a film that isn’t an “Avengers” pic. It is currently unknown how the Hulk will play into the storyline of the upcoming Thor movie.
Edward Norton starred in the last standalone “Hulk” film, but was replaced by Ruffalo before the first “Avengers” film began production.
Kevin Feige is producing. “Thor: Ragnarok” hits theaters on Nov. 3, 2017.
Ruffalo can be seen next in Open Road’s “Spotlight” followed by the sequel “Now You See Me 2.” He is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment and Keith A. Klevan Attorney at Law.
The news was first reported by JoBlo.
