There have been rumblings about a Hulk Hogan biopic for years, though it's looking increasingly unlikely given what a controversial figure the WWE Hall of Famer has become (this week, he's been accused of making racist comments about Vice President Kamala Harris).
News of the movie first broke in 2019 with Thor star Chris Hemsworth attached to play Hogan and Joker director Todd Phillips tapped to take the helm. Hogan himself has said the movie isn't happening and Phillips has now confirmed he won't be involved in any way.
"I love what we were trying to do," he recently told Variety, "but that’s not going to come together for me."
While very little was ever revealed about the movie (including how much involvement WWE would have), Hemsworth playing the Hulkster quickly earned the approval of pro wrestling fans. However, he also cast doubt on the project ever materialising while promoting Furiosa earlier this year.
"To work with Todd Phillips, who we discussed making that film with, would be an honor and a fantastic opportunity," the actor explained. "I can't say it's officially happening yet. If there was a green light, I'd get to work on it."
"But it's interesting. Dementus' vocal quality was something I could invent and it would be surprising to people, but there wouldn't be any judgment or comparison. It's a tricky thing to play a real-life character. I've done it once before, and people immediately have the measuring stick out and the critiques and so on."
Hemsworth added, "It'd be nerve-wracking, but if there's a great script and a story to tell, I'd love to jump into it. But there's nothing official at this point."
Ultimately, there were likely far too many hoops to jump through with a movie like this and Hemsworth is likely to have a packed few years with Extraction 3, new Avengers movies, and Thor 5 all somewhere on the horizon.
Hogan remains a divisive figure (and one who is often described as something of a stranger to the truth), but if this movie had been made in the same vein as The Iron Claw, it could have served as a fascinating glimpse into the rise of "Hulkamania" and the creation of a Superstar.
"As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical," Hemsworth said back in 2020. "I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor."
"There is the accent as well as the physicality and the attitude," the actor continued "I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I'm really looking forward to doing. I'm going to be blonde, probably balding and with a 'tache..."
As always, stay tuned for updates.