Warning: This article contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 2.distribution rights to the Hulk; Universal has first refusal due to deals that predate the MCU. This led to one of the most popular Hulk events of all time, Planet Hulk, being absorbed into Thor: Ragnarok in a story where the Hulk became the Grandmaster's champion on the planet Sakaar.
Evidence is building that Marvel intend to revisit Sakaar, either reprising the Planet Hulk story or telling a version of its sequel comic book event, World War Hulk. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1 revealed a Sakaaran spaceship's unexpected arrival on Earth was responsible for the car crash that led to Bruce Banner's blood mixing with that of his cousin Jennifer Walters, creating She-Hulk. Episode 2 went one step further, in a striking scene in which the Hulk was shown to now be aboard that Sakaaran vessel, presumably heading back to Sakaar. It really does look as though Marvel is setting up a Planet Hulk movie or Disney+ TV show.
All this makes it rather surprising that Thor: Love & Thunder cut some major Planet Hulk setup (via Zeus on Omnipotence City). This was originally intended to be the place where Thor empowered the Asgardian children to battle the Shadow Monsters.
Why Did Thor: Love & Thunder Cut Its Planet Hulk Setup?
The MCU is often criticized for its episodic nature, with each film feeling more like an episode of an ongoing TV series than a standalone movie. Given that's the case, it's surprising to see major MCU setup cut from Thor: Love & Thunder. Presumably the sequence felt superfluous and unnecessary as regards Thor: Love & Thunder's main plot, and so this was cut. That's probably for the best, because it allows the film to stand as more of a distinct, discrete entity.
Certainly Mark Ruffalo is keen on a Planet Hulk plot. "I do think that the trip to Sakaar is a good place to start and what that means to the idea of what the fans have been asking for," he observed in one interview. "This idea of Planet Hulk or World War Hulk or just the journey that Banner and Hulk have to make to come to peace with each other." The interesting question is whether Marvel envision the Grandmaster as the villain of such a Planet Hulk arc, as hinted at in the concept art given obvious comparisons between this new Grandmaster and Sakaar's twisted ruler, the Red King, in the comics. While this scene may have been cut from Thor: Love & Thunder, that doesn't necessarily mean the ideas have been dropped.
