Hulk has left Disney Plus’ She-Hulk — but where is he going?

[Ed. note: This post contains light spoilers for episode 2 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.]

Episode 2 She-Hulk: An Attorney at LawJen Walters (Tatiana Maslany), drops by to make a phone call to her cousin. Great, who hasn’t? Only unbeknownst to her, the cause is more complicated: While he was in the middle of talking about her latest step in her law career, we pull out to see that Hulk is actually aboard a spaceship headed… somewhere.

This obviously isn’t the first time spaceships have gotten in the way of Bruce Banner’s life. In the show, She-Hulk’s powers came from an accident caused by a Sakaaran spacecraft that dropped down in front of her and Bruce’s car. It’s a “Sakaaran Class A courier craft,” Bruce explains later. “They’re probably trying to deliver a message; I’ve got to get to the bottom of that.” And if you remember your Thor: RagnarokDetails: Sakaar, the gladiator world on which the Hulk was trapped for three years, is Sakaar.

Though it would seem that Bruce has apparently gotten “to the bottom of that,” Marvel is playing it coy here with exactly where he’s going, what he’s doing, or what happens next. And with the MCU, it’s a toss-up as to whether this is simply a quick way to explain why Mark Ruffalo isn’t in more of the show or a hint at the future of the MCU. If we look at the franchise, Hulk has many upcoming subplots. Below are some possible places he may land.

Marvel Secret Invasion

Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Yu/Marvel Comics

If Bruce is jetting off to a future movie or show, it’s almost certainly going to be Secret InvasionTo air in 2023, on Disney Plus. This television series is loosely inspired by the Marvel Comics episode of the same title. In it, many heroes of earth were revealed to be replaced by shapeshifting, skrull-sleeper agents. The skrulls then make a bid to overtake the entire planet.

Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and the Skrull Talos will both star in the series. Captain MarvelCobie Smulders portrays Maria Hill; Martin Freeman plays Everett K. Ross. Black PantherDon Cheadle plays the War Machine. How does this relate to Sakaar or the Hulk It doesn’t really matter. However, Secret InvasionThe MCU’s next extraterrestrial threat will be the chronological next time it looks (other than the Guardians of the Galaxy). holiday special, which we don’t).

Skrulls could be a potential threat to Sakaar if Hulk already exists in space.

Loki season 2

What’s going on in LokiWhat season is the second? Probably some weird science time bullshit that it’d be great to have Dr. Bruce “Smart Hulk” Banner himself on. Loki might have come to terms with his dislike of Kang the Conqueror and called upon the big brain guns for help.

Spa vacation

Image: Marvel Studios

Listen, who hasn’t enjoyed a lovely bit of time off in space once in a while? Nick Fury has certainly had. It is not clear if his entire off-planet experience amounts to any. Secret InvasionHe looked relaxed and happy as he strolled through a Skrull ship, seeding or otherwise. Though Hulk has been absent from a lot of the MCU recently, it’s not like he’s gotten a good break (though who knows, maybe gladiatorial battle was a nice reprieve). Maybe it’s a new episode of What if …? or maybe it’s just some well-earned time off; either way, give Bruce Banner some PTO!

World War Hulk

In the MCU, the Hulk’s exit from Sakaar was relatively light and adventurous. It was an entire Marvel Comics story. Something. Hulk had fought his way to rulership over Sakaar and led an armada back to Earth to seek revenge on the superheroes who’d stranded him in space in the first place. Skaar was his big-eyed son. He suffered a lot of father issues. Perhaps this all is laying the groundwork for an announcement about a World War Hulk Event in Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps She-Hulk and the interstellar custody fight will bring an end to her reign?

Finale of the She-Hulk Season

Image: Marvel Studios

Listen, CGI is expensive, and it’s not like Hulk has been doing a ton (aside from building a Mexican getaway off screen with Tony Stark, apparently). Maybe by the end of the season he’ll come right back to Earth and She-Hulk — either because he’s solved the Sakaarans’ problem, or because they play into some big law case Jen is working on. Jen might even go to space to help Hulk get out of an intergalactic legal bind. Last time Grandmaster was seen, he was being overthrown and deposed. Jeff Goldblum may be returning to She-Hulk’s place to witness the deposition (testifying against) of Grandmaster.