While taking on Marvel’s Bruce Banner aka The Hulk in the MCU, Mark Ruffalo brought humanity, vulnerability, and wit to the role while also sharing great chemistry with Tony Stark aka Iron Man played by Robert Downey Jr. While his take on the mighty Avenger was appreciated, there have also been criticisms that Ruffalo’s version was too dialed-down in terms of the rage and violence associated with the character when compared to the performance of Edward Norton.
Now, with the first teaser of Captain America: Brave New World having dropped online, fans could be in for a treat after getting a fleeting glimpse of Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross transforming into the iconic Red Hulk. His portrayal could now, potentially give Norton’s unhinged version a run for his money.
How Red Hulk Could Bring Back Nostalgic Memories For Marvel Fans
Ever since the first official teaser of Captain America: Brave New World was released online, excited fans have been setting the internet on fire with their opinions on what to expect. To begin with, the simmering face-off between Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross is established through various scenes in the trailer.
But the biggest source of excitement for Marvel buffs was the final fleeting look of Ford appearing as the famous Red Hulk. The character who has superhuman strength, durability, and endurance like the Hulk, also possesses the ability to absorb radiation which leads to even greater and deadlier powers.
Over the years, fans have been critical of the casting of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner aka the Hulk. While the actor brought relatability, wit, and a certain softness to the role which was lauded by many viewers, a large cross-section of fans believed that he did not embody the unmitigated rage and manic quality of the superhero, which they felt, was portrayed by his predecessor Edward Norton to perfection in The Incredible Hulk.
Now with Ford’s Red Hulk having been established in live-action, viewers who earlier believed that Ruffalo’s version paled in comparison to Norton’s aggressive performance, could harbor some hope that Marvel and the MCU can well redeem themselves by going back to the violent Hulk avatar with Captain America: Brave New World.
First look at Harrison Ford as the Red Hulk in ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD.’ pic.twitter.com/2zHAstncQ5
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 12, 2024
Marvel still hasn’t topped this Hulk #BraveNewWorld pic.twitter.com/jLKKWrxL12
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel) July 13, 2024
Red Hulk is going to top that. I wish they could introduce him like in the comics and have him just beat the brakes off everyone just to show them that he can
— Cam Shelton (@CamTheOwlCosmic) July 13, 2024
I miss this kind of Hulk.
— JojoPowerRanger (@JosephChapin21) July 13, 2024
I'm a fan. Let's go Red hulk
— WiseLending.com (@WiseLending) July 12, 2024
Hulks such a cool character it’s a shame he got the Mickey Mouse treatment to such an extreme level in the MCU
— Bradley (@codered6787) July 13, 2024
With still a few months to go before the film releases in theaters in February 2025, Marvel buffs will be eagerly anticipating more teasers to follow, which could then give them a better feel of how Ford could approach his character.
When Two Hulk Actors Had An Awkward Reunion
Edward Norton’s film The Incredible Hulk was the second MCU film to be released following the blockbuster success of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. Despite the actor turning in an intense performance that was worthy of the superhero, he did not feature in future MCU projects, with the role going to Mark Ruffalo who became an integral part of the Avengers films.
This change of guard proved to be a rather awkward transition for Ruffalo, albeit in a lighthearted fashion. The star made an appearance at the Emerald City Comic Con to talk about Marvel, the MCU, and much more. During the course of the conversation, the actor revealed his first meeting with Norton after he had taken over as the new Bruce Banner. Describing the incident to CBR, the Dark Waters star confessed,
No, I mean, I didn’t talk to him, but I reached out to him, as we do now when we don’t want to talk. And I was like, ‘Hey, man,’ and he’s like, ‘No, it’s fine.’ I mean, it was weird.
He further stated that Robert Downey Jr. who is always known to have some fun at his cast members’ expense, added salt to the wound in 2010 by introducing him to Norton as the man who is reprising the role of The Hulk. The actors though, had a laugh about it later and continued to remain good friends.
Captain America: Brave New World will be released in cinemas on 14th February 2025.
