RUMOR: Marvel Studios May Be Planning To Introduce The Most Sinister HULK Yet: Maestro!

RUMOR: Marvel Studios May Be Planning To Introduce The Most Sinister HULK Yet: Maestro!

According to an intriguing new MCU rumour, Marvel Studios may have plans to introduce the "Maestro" version of The Hulk as the Jade Giant's next evolution. Is the stage being set for World War Hulk?

By JoshWilding - Nov 14, 2024 09:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Hulk
Source: The Cosmic Circus

Arguably one of The Hulk's greatest villains is himself...well, a future version, that is. Known as Maestro, the bearded baddie was introduced in the 1992 miniseries Hulk: Future Imperfect by Peter David and George Pérez, and instantly resonated with fans of the Jade Giant. 

In the comics, it's established that exposure to high radiation levels over the years increased Maestro's strength and intelligence; however, it also warped his personality, making him cruel and power-hungry.

In Maestro’s future, he emerges as the sole ruler after most of Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been destroyed by nuclear war. Unlike the Hulk of the present day, Maestro retains Banner's intelligence but is manipulative, merciless, and entirely unrestrained in his use of power. Wearing trophies from the superheroes he's defeated, the villain views humanity with disdain and is fully succumbed to his rage and ego. 

Now, it sounds like he's on his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

According to The Cosmic Circus' Alex Perez, there's a chance Maestro will appear "soon." It sounds like the idea is for him to become the next evolution of The Hulk, though who knows how or when that will play out...or whether the Multiverse is involved.

When we last saw Bruce Banner, his arm had healed after the events of Avengers: Endgame. After helping train his cousin, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, the Green Goliath met his son, Skaar. Unfortunately, that character's introduction in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale didn't receive the warmest response from fans. 

If Maestro is coming, though, then it's likely as part of the long-rumoured World War Hulk/World War Hulks project which may now be saved for Marvel Studios' next Saga.

Another rumour shared by the site reveals that original plans called for Eternals' Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) to "team up with Blade on the road to Midnight Sons, and Blade will help him train with the Ebony Sword so he can become the Black Knight." 

We don't know whether that's still the plan for the character, though Perez mentions that his story ties into rumoured plans to explore more of the MCU's UK superheroes. 

"Yeah. Kevin [Feige] was like, 'What would you like to do?' And he said, 'What would you do if you had a standalone Hulk movie?' I said, 'Well, I'd like to take him from this raging maniac to kind of this integrated character,'" Mark Ruffalo said of his MCU role as Hulk earlier this year. "And he's like, 'Okay. We'll do that over the course of four movies."

"We'll never give you a standalone Hulk...I Don't mean to burst your bubble, but that's just not going to [happen.] So, we'll do it over four movies, how does that sound?' As far as I know. [when asked if it's still true that Marvel Studios doesn't want to do a Hulk movie.] I can talk more about it, but I've been told not to," the actor added, alluding to the complicated rights issues surrounding the Hulk franchise. 

What would you like to see from Maestro in the MCU?

RUMOR: Marvel Studios Is Now Moving Forward With A HULK VS. WOLVERINE Movie
Related:

RUMOR: Marvel Studios Is Now Moving Forward With A HULK VS. WOLVERINE Movie

WORLD WAR HULK: 6 More Hulks We'd Like To See In The Rumored MCU Event Movie
Recommended For You:

WORLD WAR HULK: 6 More Hulks We'd Like To See In The Rumored MCU Event Movie

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2
FrankenDad
FrankenDad - 11/14/2024, 9:56 AM
No more Hulks. Work with the 4 you have for now.
dragon316
dragon316 - 11/14/2024, 2:38 PM
@FrankenDad - there’s 4 ? Red , green she hulk did one appear no one notice ?
FrankenDad
FrankenDad - 11/14/2024, 4:52 PM
@dragon316 - Skaar was in the finale of She-Hulk and they still have to worry about all of that. 😂
FrankenDad
FrankenDad - 11/14/2024, 5:06 PM
@dragon316 - User Comment Image
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 11/14/2024, 9:56 AM
Make it Eric Bana on Battleworld.
FrankenDad
FrankenDad - 11/14/2024, 10:01 AM
@SonOfAGif - I like that idea
AnEye
AnEye - 11/14/2024, 10:03 AM
@SonOfAGif - His Bruce deserved a sequel.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/14/2024, 11:11 AM
@SonOfAGif - wanted to say the same thing. That version as one of Doom's barons would be cool to see
AnungUnRama
AnungUnRama - 11/14/2024, 4:59 PM
@SonOfAGif - Considering the mirror scene his Hulk persona was on an evil route. So this could be a plausible evolution. And I would love to see Bana und('s Hulk) return. I liked how they visualized the angrier he gets the stronger he becomes wirh taht version. I woold even more like Norton to return as a Baner variant
AllsGood
AllsGood - 11/14/2024, 9:58 AM
Make it Happen.

User Comment Image
AnEye
AnEye - 11/14/2024, 10:03 AM
Yeah he's gonna appear in Secret Wars. A Hulk solo movie? Paying Universal? Disney doesn't stoop that low.
User Comment Image
narrow290
narrow290 - 11/14/2024, 10:05 AM
Such an uninteresting, overpowered character
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 11/14/2024, 10:12 AM
@narrow290 - Future Imperfect was a great story. The problems were when they used him after that.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 11/14/2024, 10:06 AM
OLD NEWS I read this before when Disney didn't the Hulk Rights back from Univeral yet. Now Marvel Studios has the Rights back from Univeral they do whatever they want.

OLD NEWS

"We'll never give you a standalone Hulk...I Don't mean to burst your bubble, but that's just not going to [happen.] So, we'll do it over four movies, how does that sound?' As far as I know. [when asked if it's still true that Marvel Studios doesn't want to do a Hulk movie.] I can talk more about it, but I've been told not to,"
AnEye
AnEye - 11/14/2024, 10:08 AM
@AllsGood - If they did have the rights, then Hulk would be facing off with The Leader & Rulk...in a Hulk solo movie...where those two villains belong....
AllsGood
AllsGood - 11/14/2024, 10:22 AM
@Spoken - Captain America: Brave New World the Raging Hulk will Return when the Smart-Hulk see's Betty Ross die. Will an all-New Level of Angry for the even the Smart-Hulk to control.

User Comment Image
AnEye
AnEye - 11/14/2024, 10:29 AM
@AllsGood - That has nothing to do with what I said. I mentioned a HULK SOLO MOVIE but you are talking about a CAPTAIN AMERICA movie.

And seeing Betty Ross die? That relationship went no where since he was dating Black Widow in Age of Ultron.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 11/14/2024, 11:19 AM
@Spoken - Marvel Studios has to need to do SOLO movies anymore like Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. No need for ANY Solo Movie.

User Comment Image
AllsGood
AllsGood - 11/14/2024, 11:35 AM
@Spoken - Once Marvel Studios hit the Avengers movies. Eliminated the need for SOLO movies. The Thunderbolts is introducing the Sentry. No need for Solo movies.

User Comment Image
AnEye
AnEye - 11/14/2024, 11:40 AM
@AllsGood - You just contradicted yourself.

"Marvel Studios has to need to do SOLO movies anymore like Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. No need for ANY Solo Movie."

They need solo movies but they don't need solo movies? Yet they are making a Captain America 4 which is meant to be a..........so....lo...movie.....?
AllsGood
AllsGood - 11/14/2024, 11:54 AM
@Spoken - I agree Marvel Studios World War Hulk movie will not be a SOLO movie.

User Comment Image
Forthas
Forthas - 11/14/2024, 10:07 AM
Could they get the first Hulk correct first?
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/14/2024, 10:07 AM
I was wondering....
The reason the MCU can't put out a solo HULK film is because, somehow, Paramount still owns the solo movie rights. Yet, that Hulk can appear in films with multiple Marvel characters no problem.

What I was wondering was, if they wanted to, could the MCU do a solo Red Hulk, Maestro, or any other kind of the Hulk? Either way, I sure hope they bring back the aura of the character like he was in the first two Avenger films. Whedon may be a d1ck, be he nailed how to handle the HULK. Any other version for a War World HULK I'm down for as well because, since I was a kid, TIH was my favorite character in the Marvel comics....and eventually the Bill Bixby television show.
AnEye
AnEye - 11/14/2024, 10:09 AM
@lazlodaytona - Universal owns the distribution rights to Hulk. Not Paramount.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/14/2024, 10:29 AM
@lazlodaytona - Whedon gave us the best Hulk of the MCU thus far, certainly, but one nitpick I didn't like was having Hulk carry himself like a large gorilla.
AnungUnRama
AnungUnRama - 11/14/2024, 5:06 PM
@McMurdo - I still prefere in The Incredible Hulk over Avengers Ape Hulk.

Even more so I would like to see Norton return as a Bruce variant. Prefer him over Ruffolos Banner any day
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/16/2024, 1:01 AM
@AnungUnRama - I honestly fully agree
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/16/2024, 10:23 AM
@Spoken - Oh, sorry. My bad
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/16/2024, 10:25 AM
@McMurdo - can't argue that
Arthorious
Arthorious - 11/14/2024, 10:10 AM
They’ve got a lot of ground to cover before they get to the Maestro.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 11/14/2024, 10:15 AM
If hes just a variant, its a waste of the character. Marvel is in a pickle because of their established time travel rules. I feel like eventually, they need to retcon that.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/14/2024, 10:30 AM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - literally everyone and everything is a variant now
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 11/14/2024, 10:37 AM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - The Maestro was always an alternate universe character. It'd be weird if he wasn't a variant.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 11/14/2024, 10:56 AM
@ObserverIO - Exactly, it's literally a perfect character for the multiverse saga. Hell I would have rather had Maestro as the main villain of the saga instead of Kang.
CreateNowSlpL8r
CreateNowSlpL8r - 11/14/2024, 9:24 PM
@ObserverIO - I'm not sure that is ever confirmed that he is from an alternate universe since marvel comics is so loose with time travel. In Future Imperfect, Maestro does challenge Hulk with the theory that hes from an alternate timeline, not universe. Hulk threatens to self delete and Maestro tells him he doesn't remember any of this calling Hulks bluff and hypothesizing he and his timeline would continue to exist despite Hulk self deleting. I think Hickmans FF run is really this concept of the multiverse with the council of Reeds. The problem in the MCU is they have merged these two concept of time travel and multiverse to where traveling creates a branch most of the time.

@Urubrodi I agree in part but I think it takes away from Maestro. I think it hold a lot more weight if he is ultimately what the 616 Hulk becomes and that is a conflict Banner will have to deal with and avoid. It could be after WW Hulk if they ever do it but I like Maestro as a consequence better. Maestro is the ultimate version of Hulk. He is savage meaning he gets stronger the angrier he gets but when he was writter, Prof Hulk was still the main Hulk so he is as intelligent as Prof Hulk. Thats makes him the most dangerous version.

@McMurdo
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 11/15/2024, 4:26 AM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - According to the original rules of Marvel time travel laid down by Gru, travelling back in time should always create a branch timeline. This doesn't always seem to be how things are presented narratively though and Future Imperfect is one of those examples.

Peter David was telling us that Maestro could be canon Hulk's actual future. A lot of alternate future stories originally present themselves this way too. But we've yet to see canon Hulk permanently become Maestro and kill all the Avengers and we probably never will, so for that reason I think he will always fall into the variant category rather than like a canon event that they need to adapt.
I do see what you're saying though, that they could do a movie in which Maestro is a future version of Sacred Timeline Ruffalo's Hulk and yeah that could be cool too.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 11/15/2024, 8:29 AM
@CreateNowSlpL8r - If executed well your take could really work, but it's risky to make Maestro Hulk's definite future. Not everyone takes it well when a beloved hero ends up becoming a villain. So they'd need to give a valid reason as to why that would happen in the MCU. I personally would probably play a bit safer and go with being a potential/branched timeline and not the main path.
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 11/14/2024, 10:18 AM
Justin Long for new Bruce Banner please
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/14/2024, 10:31 AM
@ProfessorWhy - would be Goated and wouls be SOOOO much better than dull Ruffalo.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 11/14/2024, 10:38 AM
@ProfessorWhy - Or new Tony Stark. Or both ([frick] it make them twins).
1 2

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder