Legendary Hulk comic book writer Peter David has revealed that he’d love to see his “Future Imperfect” arc adapted for the MCU. One of the most influential writers in comic book history, David is particularly well-known for his 12-year Incredible Hulk run. This redefined the Hulk for the comics – and it’s had a notable impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well.
Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame form a loose trilogy within the MCU. They lifted concepts straight from the David run, which treated Bruce Banner as a man who suffers from a multiple personality disorder. In the end, David forced the two personalities – Bruce Banner and the Hulk – to merge. This new entity was called “Professor Hulk,” and Avengers: Endgame adapted this iteration of the Hulk for the MCU, right down to the idea of the Green Goliath wearing glasses.
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Speaking at DragonCon 2019 (via Comic Book), David talked at length about how delighted he was to see Professor Hulk on the big screen. Now that the MCU has embraced time travel and the Multiverse, he suggested the movies can adapt another of his stories for the big screen – “Future Imperfect,” an iconic story that brought Professor Hulk face to face with a twisted, dystopian future in which a corrupted Hulk ruled as the Maestro. “Now, I’m hoping that they wind up doing Future Imperfect, which I think would be freaking awesome. I think Future Imperfect would make a fantastic Hulk movie.“
The “Future Imperfect” arc saw Professor Hulk transported into an alternate future, and he was horrified to learn that his future self had gone insane as a result of radiation poisoning. Calling himself the Maestro, the future Bruce Banner had successfully conquered the entire planet. He kept a trophy room, filled with mementos that honored his fallen foes – from Captain America’s shield to Apocalypse’s arm, from Cyclops’ visor to Iron Man’s helmet. It was curated by the Maestro’s slave, an elderly Rick Jones. Naturally, it didn’t take long for Professor Hulk and the Maestro to come to blows. It would certainly be thrilling to see this idea adapted for the big screen.
The MCU doesn’t have Rick Jones, but David had a suggestion who could take his place. “I’d have the Black Widow,” he explained. “And Bruce would walk in to see and go, ‘Natasha, but… you’re dead. You died in this world.’ And she’d go, ‘No, Clint died.’” David envisages that as the moment when the Hulk realizes he’s in an alternate future timeline where history went a bit differently.
As exciting as this idea may be, the sad truth is that Marvel Studios is unlikely to make another dedicated Hulk movie. Universal owns the distribution rights for the Hulk, which is why even Mark Ruffalo believes there won’t be another Hulk film. For all that’s the case, though, it’s quite possible Marvel Studios could choose to adapt “Future Imperfect” for a future Avengers film instead. Mark Ruffalo’s contract is believed to be coming to an end – he originally signed up for just six movies, and there’s only one left – meaning this is an idea Marvel would have to adapt sooner rather than later.
Source: Comic Book
- Black Widow (2020) release date: May 01, 2020
- Eternals (2020) release date: Nov 06, 2020
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) release date: Feb 12, 2021
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2021) release date: May 07, 2021
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2021) release date: Nov 05, 2021
- Black Panther 2 (2022) release date: May 06, 2022
