Have you ever watched a film and wonder how a certain character got there and yet no one in the story questions their appearance. In Thor: Ragnarok, one of MCU’s favorite characters made an appearance and everyone has been wondering how he ended up there.
After the terrible events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, which resulted in the destruction of Sokovia, the Hulk disappeared, then two years later we find him in Thor: Ragnarok on Sakaar.
In this article we will tell you how the Hulk ended up on Sakaar, even if the film won’t.
In case you don’t know who the Hulk is, here is a brief download on who this green guy is. Known as a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Scientist Doctor Bruce Banner was exposed to heavy doses of gamma radiation and the hulk was created. Whenever Banner is provoked or angry, his body and brain transform into the Hulk.
The huge, green creature that is always angry, Banner is always living on a fine line. He is constantly weary, as he has another creature living within and is a part of him.
During the MCU films, Bruce and the Hulk have been on quite a journey. Hulk has gone from a primitive beast and learnt to talk. Bruce and Hulk have truly started to become one.
However when we look at Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk is more in control of Banner than any other film, which is scary for Banner as he never knows what is happening when Hulk is in charge.
What Happened To The Hulk At The End Of Age Of Ultron?
After the events of Age of Ultron, no one was really sure when we would see the Hulk again. At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk saves Black Widow. He then jumps onto Ultron’s ship and throws Ultron down to earth.
Once Ultron is defeated, Black Widow tries to get in contract with Hulk. The plane that Hulk is on is in stealth mode, so the Avengers can’t track him. For unknown reasons, Hulk ends his video chat with Black Widow and that’s the last we hear of the Hulk until we see him on Sakaar.
How Did Hulk Get To Sakaar?
How the Hulk ended up on Sakaar is different in the film compared to the comic. We aren’t told in the film how Hulk ended up here but in interviews it has been said what happened.
When Thor meets Hulk he naturally wonders how he ended up on Sakaar. Especially for the two years that Hulk has been on Sakaar, only Hulk has been in charge. Banner was closed off for two years and had no idea what had been happening as he wasn’t in control.
The Hulk in this film doesn’t have a very advanced vocabulary, so even when Thor asks the green guy what happened to him, he can only mime what happened. Hulk mimes a crash.
From there we can assume that Hulk crashed the ship he was on, but that still doesn’t answer how he got all the way to Sakaar in the first place.
Sakaar is known to be across the universe from earth. In a lot of interviews, the cast and creators of Thor: Ragnarok have explained that Sakaar is surrounded by wormholes. The production designer of Thor: Ragnarok, Dan Hennah has said:
“Sakaar’s populated by aliens and the sky in Sakaar has a number of worm holes that deposit space waste, basically, and if you’re flying through space, you can get caught up in a wormhole and you can end up. . . . well, he hit one of these wormholes and he ended up here and he became The Grandmaster;s special toy.”
Therefore, it is very possible that Hulk hit one of these wormholes and crashed into Sakaar.
As Dan Hennah explained, a lot of the wormholes that surround Sakaar, deposit waste/trash on the planet, so it is very likely that Hulk accidently found himself in this wormhole and that is how he ended up there.
Even if nothing in the plot tells us this.
How Hulk ended up on Sakaar doesn’t really affect the plot, so it is no wonder why the producers didn’t feel like they needed to give us a proper explanation for it. So it was a nice surprise when Hulk turns up unexpectedly.
Hulk did try to mime what happened to him but for fans that wasn’t enough. We wanted to know what happened and how Hulk ended up there. If it wasn’t said in interviews we may still be wondering what happened to Hulk once he left Earth.
Especially as Hulk’s reasoning to leave is different than in the comics. Even an after credit scene would have worked and fans would have been thankful for it.
Why Did Hulk Want To Leave?
The motives as to why the Hulk disappeared aren’t really discussed, but there are a few ideas floating around. In the comics, Hulk was told to leave by a secret group called the Illuminati.
This was a secret group of superheroes that worked in the shadows for a long time, making decisions and shaping events in secret. The secret group arranges for the Hulk to be taken away from Earth so he wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore.
The goal was for Hulk and Banner to be taken to a quiet planet where he could live his life peacefully, however the shuttle he was on was knocked off course and he found himself on Sakaar.
In the Age of Ultron and Ragnarok, it was never really mentioned why Hulk decided to leave but there are ideas. In the film, it was Hulk’s decision to leave Earth. He didn’t want to put anyone in danger again or be used as a weapon.
The Hulk ultimately wanted to leave so he could lead his own life, and prevent himself from doing anymore damage to Earth.
How it happened in the film and how it happened in the comics are quite different. Yet at least with how it happens in the film, no friendships are destroyed, which would have made things even more difficult and complicated for the future films.
Although the thing that is similar between both the comic and the film, is that Hulk was leaving to protect Earth from himself.
He just wanted a quieter life, where he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone else and he could live his own life, and he still finds his way to Sakaar accidently.
What Happened To Hulk On Sakaar Before Thor Showed Up?
Once he landed on Sakaar, Hulk ended up becoming a gladiator and the Grandmaster’s prized champion. Hulk managed to defeat every challenger until Thor showed up.
He got to live like a king, plenty of food and people made sure he was well looked after. Also Hulk is a powerful guy, so he didn’t really need to worry about getting hurt by any of the challengers.
Alongside this, Hulk felt most himself on Sakaar. As this is such a diverse planet and he didn’t need to worry about being judged. Even if he was worried, as soon as he became The Grandmasters champion he was loved.
Sakaar is so different from Earth, that the Hulk didn’t have to worry about people not liking him or being scared of him. On Sakaar, Hulk was truly loved by everyone. However, it couldn’t last forever.
At some point he was going to have to leave, it just so happens that Thor was the person that caused the change in Hulk and he wanted to leave.
As Hulk was in charge for so long, we see that during his time on Sakaar, Hulk started learning how to speak. He still only had the primitive vocabulary of a two year old, but it was an improvement.
With Banner being fully cut off, for two years, Hulk had his chance to learn and develop. He just needed time and not to feel shame for who he is. Especially considering in Avengers: Endgame, Hulk can speak in full sentences and is a genius like Bruce Banner.
Hulk in this film was the beginning of what the Hulk was going to become. A more well spoken creature who didn’t just want to smash everything.
Conclusion
In the actual film we aren’t told how Hulk ended up on Sakaar. However, thanks to some digging and some interviews, it has been discovered that the Hulk crashed into Sakaar after flying through one of the many wormholes that go to Sakaar.
The appearance of Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok is a pleasant surprise for fans and now how Hulk ended up there makes sense.
If anything else happened to Hulk before he found the wormhole, it has never been mentioned, so we can assume that Hulk flew straight into the wormhole and onto Sakaar.
