There's been a lot to say and write about when it comes to why Marvel Studios has not, technically cannot, release another solo Hulk movie. After years of speculation, studio head Kevin Feige told the media there is a "gray area" when it comes to making another solo Hulk movie. Then, last year, Bruce Banner and Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo revealed that it was an issue of Universal Studios still owning the distribution rights for Hulk solo movies.
Now, in a very interesting feature on The Hollywood Reporter with David Maisel, one of Marvel Studios' original founders, the exact issue between Marvel and Universal for the distribution rights of Hulk solo movies has been officially disclosed.
Here's the snippet from the report, THR writes:
"Maisel says he wanted the next movie to focus on Hulk because Universal's 2003 Ang Lee version provided some basis to predict how another might perform. But Universal still had rights. Maisel called Universal chief Ron Meyer and asked whether he had plans to make another Hulk. When Meyer said no, Maisel says he proposed that if Marvel could have rights back, he would make at least one more Hulk movie, spending $100 million-plus, and pay Universal to distribute. It was found money for Universal. The catch was that Universal could distribute the films only if Hulk were the central character. Marvel owed Universal nothing if Hulk appeared in, say, an Avengers movie — which is, of course, exactly what later happened. (In one of several points of dispute, Arad says that he was the one who contacted Universal.)"
So it is finally confirmed that Universal holds the distribution rights only to solo Hulk movies. Marvel Studios holds the live action movies rights to Hulk and they are allowed to use him in any other movie, that features Hulk in a supporting role, they want to without any involvement from Universal. This is why you see Hulk in Avengers films and also appearing in next year's THOR: RAGNAROK, but why you haven't (and won't for a while) seen a sequel to THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
To read more about Maisel's involvement in the creation of Marvel Studios over on THR, click right here.
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