In the season premiere of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, we got our first hint that Marvel Studios is indeed planning to adapt World War Hulk. A Saakar spaceship came to Earth looking for the Jade Giant, and the prevailing theory now is that this has something to do with Skar, the son Bruce Banner conceived in the comics while competing in the planet's gladiatorial arena.
It's highly unlikely that we'll get a faithful adaptation of the five-part event series, and "World War Hulk" could quite easily refer to a battle on Earth between its Hulks! However, if Smart Hulk is returning to Sakaar, it's possible he could come back to Earth with a chip on his shoulder looking for a fight.
In the comics, he'd been sent into space by The Illuminati and wanted to take revenge on them after the ship they constructed blew up and killed his wife and unborn child. No matter how much of that Marvel Studios adapts, there are some specific moments we want to see brought to the big screen...and it's those that we're taking a closer look at in this feature.
To check out this breakdown, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!
8. Hulk Vs. Hulkbuster
The Hulk returns to Earth intent on making those who exiled him pay, and after dealing with Black Bolt, Iron Man is next on the Jade Giant's list.
Tony Stark dons a massive Hulkbuster armour and takes the fight to The Hulk, ultimately destroying Stark Tower while beating the Armoured Avenger to a bloody pulp. With the MCU's Iron Man dead and gone, an Avengers: Age of Ultron rematch is off the table, but that doesn't mean the Green Goliath can't face another Hulkbuster!
Whether it's Ironheart or War Machine in the suit (the latter might make the most sense), we'd love to see this epic battle play out in the middle of New York City. It would also drive home the fact that technology is no match for The Hulk and set things right after his loss to Iron Man in 2015.
7. The Hulk Squares Off With The Thing
This fight only lasts for a couple of pages and The Hulk makes short work of the Fantastic Four member. However, these two have a storied history on the page, and debates have raged for years about which of them is stronger.
A World War Hulk adaptation would be the perfect opportunity for these two to finally square off in live-action. Way back in 2012, fans were left with their jaws on the floor after seeing Thor fight The Hulk aboard Nick Fury's Helicarrier in The Avengers as it hadn't been included in any trailers and was one of those clashes we could have only dreamed of seeing play out on screen.
The same can be said for The Hulk vs. The Thing, and we can only hope Marvel's First Family have been introduced by the time this rumoured movie rolls around.
6. Arena Battle
In the World War Hulk comic book, The Hulk fits Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Mister Fantastic, and Black Bolt with obedience discs and forces them to fight in an arena he's created in Madison Square Garden.
There, the Green Goliath sits atop a throne of his own making, and this is a visual we would love to see on screen. The MCU doesn't have an Illuminati for The Hulk to target, but any heroes who dare attempt to stop his attack on Earth could be put in a similar position to this disgraced foursome.
It's always fun seeing our favourite heroes square off with each other in live-action. Regardless of who fills these roles, a twisted Hulk taking pleasure in forcing his former friends to fight would be a really interesting and dark direction to take this character in.
5. The Hulk Shatters Doctor Strange's Hands
Doctor Strange does everything he can in this series to avoid The Hulk's wrath, but his magic can't protect him and he eventually finds himself at the mercy of his former friend.
When the Jade Giant finally gets to the Sorcerer Supreme, he crushes the hero's hands and takes away his ability to use magic (for the most part). In the MCU, we've seen Strange return to his arrogant ways, with his actions at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness proof of that. How better to humble Stephen than to break him again?
The Hulk breaking Strange's hands would lead to seismic changes for the character and would hopefully set him on a new path. Of course, the sorcerer isn't down for the count and finds a way to power himself back up...
4. Strange Smash
Allowing himself to be possessed by the powers of an ancient being known as Zom, Strange successfully fights back against The Hulk and actually has his former teammate beaten.
However, the darkness begins to consume the Sorcerer Supreme and he loses control in the midst of battle. With innocents watching on, The Hulk steps in to save them, proving he's still a hero...can Strange say the same at this point? It's a powerful moment and one we're sure you'll agree could factor nicely into the character's MCU story arc.
At the end of the Doctor Strange sequel, a third eye opened on Stephen's head that suggested he might be embracing the darkness within. Whether it's Zom, Dormammu, or simply the power of the Dark Dimension, him being similarly misguided here would make a lot of sense...and look very cool.
3. She-Hulk Stands Up To Her Cousin
Another moment that was far too brief in the World War Hulk comic, She-Hulk stands up to her cousin when he first returns to Earth...and promptly gets beaten down by the Jade Giant.
At first, no one is sure whether Jen can be trusted because she is, of course, also a Hulk. That would be interesting to explore here, while we'd love a rematch from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to play out on a much grander scale. A brawl between these two has the potential to be epic on screen, and could even see She-Hulk go "Savage."
It all depends on how the storyline is adapted, of course, but if anyone is going to stand up to an unhinged Bruce Banner (or any Hulk, for that matter), it should be Jennifer Walters.
2. Battle With The Sentry
The Sentry has yet to make his MCU debut, and it's hard to say whether he ever will. For those of you unfamiliar with the character, Robert Reynolds was an agoraphobic schizophrenic with the power of a million exploding suns and a dark side that came in the form of a demonic being known as The Void.
With Earth's Mightiest Heroes soundly defeated by The Hulk, The Sentry was the world's last hope. Absorbing the Jade Giant's blows, Robert became even more powerful and started losing control, though the two were so evenly matched that they eventually returned to their respective human forms (resulting in a "draw" of sorts).
If not The Sentry, Wonder Man could fill this role. Either way, The Hulk will need to find some measure of redemption, so having him go down fighting in a heroic manner would be no bad thing. Of course, that's not quite where the fallen hero's story ends...
1. Hulk Powers Up...And Down
After reverting to his Bruce Banner form, The Hulk learns that one of his Warbound betrayed him and actually set the bomb off that killed his wife and unborn child. Hulking out after Rick Jones is attacked, The Hulk is so overwhelmed by rage that just a few more steps will lay waste to the entire planet.
Thankfully, Iron Man steps in and harnesses the power of the world's satellites to take his old ally out. With that, Bruce is left comatose, but this seems like a good place to end the MCU Hulk's story. We're sure he could go out a little more heroically, of course, perhaps sacrificing himself and absorbing those Gamma Rays one final time to destroy himself rather than the Earth.
Either way, a Hulk fuelled by this much rage would be a sight to behold on screen. It's inevitable that World War Hulk will undergo some changes when it's adapted, but this is one moment we'd very much like to see.