A new theory for Deadpool & Wolverine teases that one of the darkest versions of the Hulk could make an appearance in the upcoming MCU movie. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Deadpool & Wolverine promises to be an epic multiversal adventure as Wade Wilson finally joins forces with Logan. However, it’s also possible that the duo could end up facing a brand-new version of Bruce Banner’s Hulk.

While plot details are slim, Deadpool & Wolverine is set to be focused on Wade Wilson’s recruitment by the TVA, while also seeking out Wolverine’s help to save his universe. At some point, the duo will find themselves in the Void at the End of Time that was first seen in Marvel’s Loki, resulting in a collection of various villain cameos from previous X-Men movies such as Sabretooth, Toad, Pyro, and more. However, MCU cameos are expected for Deadpool & Wolverine as well, and one of them could very well be a dark version of the Hulk who has never been seen on-screen before.

A Hulk Appearance Has Long Been Rumored For Deadpool & Wolverine

The Movie’s Expected To Have A LOT of Cameos

While not yet confirmed, it is worth noting that an appearance from Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk has been rumored and possibly teased for quite some time. The first potential clue came from Netflix’s The Adam Project in 2022 which starred both Ruffalo and Ryan Reynolds, while also being directed by Deadpool & Wolverine’s director Shawn Levy. The movie features a key Easter egg with stickers of both Deadpool and the Hulk, which many have taken as a possible tease that the MCU’s Hulk might make an appearance in the upcoming Deadpool movie.

Additionally, there have been a couple of nods to the Hulk in Deadpool & Wolverine’s trailers. When Deadpool is first picked up by the Time Variance Authority, he’s shown various moments from across the MCU, including scenes from Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok, both of which prominently feature Bruce Banner’s Hulk. However, the Void at the End of Time features an even bigger nod to the Hulk, one that could tease not only an appearance but also the debut of a very dark version of the Jade Giant.

A Variant Of Sakaar’s Gladiator Hulk Might Have Been Pruned By The TVA

A Period When Hulk Refused To Let Bruce Out

In trailers for Deadpool & Wolverine, both Wade and Logan are featured in the Void and interacting in a room with the same bed Hulk slept in when he was fighting as one of the Grandmaster’s galactic gladiators in Thor: Ragnarok. This was a period in which the Hulk had refused to let Bruce Banner take control of their body ever since the events of Age of Ultron, resulting in greater growth for the Hulk who’d gained some improved language skills. The Hulk has essentially chosen to stay in control, choosing to enjoy fame as the Grandmaster’s favored champion on Sakaar.

As such, the bed in Deadpool & Wolverine could very well be a tease that a variant of “Gladiator Hulk” was at some point pruned by the TVA. This would have resulted in an alternate timeline apart from the main Earth-616 reality where Hulk ends up in the Void, rather than joining forces with Thor and facing Hela ahead of his return to Earth in Avengers: Infinity War. Additionally, a version of the Hulk living in the Void could prove to be a potent set of circumstances, one that could potentially transform Banner/Hulk into the darkest version of themselves from the comics: The Maestro.

Theory: Hulk Became The Maestro In Loki’s Void at The End of Time

The Dark Side Of What Smart Hulk Could Have Been

In the original comics, The Maestro was a version of the Hulk from an alternate dystopian future where the world had been ravaged by nuclear warfare, resulting in Banner being one of the last few superhumans left as his body had simply absorbed the radiation, though at the cost of much of his sanity. A combination of Bruce’s intelligence while still being controlled by the Hulk’s darker and more aggressive impulses, Hulk becomes the Maestro, seeking to rule what remains. He’s also had encounters with Old Man Logan, a future version of Wolverine who survived in his own dark alternate future timeline.

To that end, one could see the MCU swapping out this original dystopian future from the comics with the wasteland that is the Void. This could bring about a live-action version of The Maestro, with “Gladiator Hulk” only continuing to grow in his intelligence over the years while keeping Banner locked away just like what was seen in Ragnarok. At any rate, it would certainly be exciting to see any version of the Hulk making an appearance in the MCU’s upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine.