The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which consists of a wide variety of superhero films, has been able to enthrall audiences with its unique plots and cast of characters. But not all projects that are planned come to pass, and occasionally we miss out on potentially groundbreaking sequels that might have developed the stories of our favorite heroes. For example, the canceled The Incredible Hulk sequel would have made a much better Avenger.
Characters from The Incredible Hulk, plot lines, and even its star (Ed Norton) were not included in later MCU movies; instead, Mark Ruffalo gave Bruce Banner/The Hulk a fresh new look in the first The Avengers film.
However, The Incredible Hulk 2 once had some elaborate plans, as director Louis Leterrier has revealed.
The Incredible Hulk Director Revealed Plans For Cancelled MCU Film
The Incredible Hulk, a 2008 film directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Edward Norton as the titular character, had a sequel planned that was eventually canceled. In a ComicBook interview, Leterrier acknowledged that he had “a whole sequel” for the Marvel character in mind, one that would have had extra Hulks.
“There was like Grey Hulk, Red Hulks — there was a lot of good stuff that we were planning.”
Beginning with 2012’s The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo assumed the role of Bruce Banner/Hulk, and the 2008 film’s plot was not included in the character’s arc. Letterier further explained:
“Hulk is a complex character within the Marvel Universe. You want the primeval Hulk… the rage Hulk. And then when you go Grey Hulk and Smart Hulk you lose that a little bit and you get a little bit more kiddish with it.”
The 2019 film Avengers: Endgame introduced the Smart Hulk, a version of the Hulk that had merged with Bruce Banner’s intelligence. Later, the character made a comeback in the Disney+ miniseries She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Leterrier acknowledged during the interview that his own conception of the character and Ruffalo’s portrayal of the Hulk—along with his Smart Hulk persona—were at odds with one another.
“But that was the fun of where I was in my movie, with the access to consciousness and all that stuff. That was really fun. And that’s what I was aiming to do. But take my time with it. Because there’s so many characters they want it all fast. I like ‘She-Hulk,’ but then, you know, yoga between Hulk and… I was like ‘Okay! Yeah, we’re very far from my Hulk.’”
Why Didn’t The Incredible Hulk Get a Sequel?
The Incredible Hulk, the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was released in 2008. However, unlike Iron Man, Captain America film series, and Thor, The Incredible Hulk did not receive several sequels. This comes as a surprise, not just because of the Hulk’s popularity, but also because of how important the character has grown in the MCU.
Edward Norton told Total Film (via GamesRadar) that much of The Incredible Hulk was cut since it was planned to be “chapter one” of a multi-movie saga.
“Oh yeah. To me the whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. It’s definitely intended as a chapter one. You know, part of the problem with these films in general is they seem to feel the obligation to tell the origin story in a linear fashion, to deal with it first and then go on into the adventure. But a lot of great stories don’t start at the beginning and with this – especially given audiences know this story – if you’re going to deal with the origin you might as well deal with it artfully.”
Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo once stated that the strained relationship between Marvel and Universal may be another obstacle to releasing a future standalone Hulk film. He told Yahoo:
“I think they’ve been working on it. Marvel and Universal famously don’t get along very well, and so that’s working against us, definitely. But I know for a fact that everyone is holding out hope that one day we can do it. But the nature of the relationship right now, it’s a little prohibitive. And I hope that that changes, that changes with regimes, it changes over the course of time. But right now it doesn’t look particularly promising.”
The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, and Tim Roth among others, earned $264.8 million globally, making it the MCU movie with the lowest box office earnings.
You can stream The Incredible Hulk on Disney Plus.
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Source- ComicBook; Total Film (via GamesRadar); Yahoo
