Hulk vs. Thing: The Canceled Fox Spinoff

Actor Michael Chiklis, known for portraying Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, in the mid-2000s Fantastic Four movies, recently disclosed a pitched spinoff concept. This idea involved a cinematic rivalry between The Thing and the Hulk. Talks at 20th Century Fox explored this potential crossover, capitalizing on the established animosity between the characters dating back to Marvel comics.

However, the proposed Hulk and Thing movie failed to materialize due to complex studio rights. Fox held the rights to the Fantastic Four franchise, while Universal Pictures controlled the rights for Hulk-related solo films. This ownership division, prior to the current era of studio collaborations facilitated by Marvel Studios, made a joint project highly improbable.

Chiklis expressed his disappointment that this particular spinoff, among other ideas, was not pursued. The two Fantastic Four films starring him collectively grossed nearly $635.5 million worldwide. Despite what Chiklis considers the "maligned" reception of these movies, he appreciates their current recognition as "family-friendly, fun movies."

With Ebon Moss-Bachrach now cast as The Thing in the upcoming MCU installments, such as *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* and *Avengers: Doomsday*, the possibility of seeing Hulk and Thing interact in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is more tangible. Fans anticipate Mark Ruffalo's potential return as Hulk in future Avengers films, potentially setting the stage for this long-discussed crossover.