The Incredible Hulk 2?
You have to give Marvel credit. They are putting out movies on their best characters on a yearly basis, and good news is, that’s not about to stop anytime soon. Next year we have The Avengers, the year after gives us Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, and 2014 sees the release of the sequel to this year’s Captain America: The First Avenger. So we know we’re going to see more of Iron Man, Cap and Thor, but where does that leave the Incredible Hulk?
The last time we saw the Green Goliath was back in 2008, in the Hulk reboot starring Edward Norton as Dr Bruce Banner. Whilst the movie was far from groundbreaking, it was a decent action flick, even though it lacked substance. To no surprise, the role of Banner was taken from Norton and given to fellow actor Mark Ruffalo for next year’s Avengers film. In my personal opinion, Ruffalo does not suit the role of Banner. When we last saw Bruce, he was on the run from the military, sneaking across America in his quest to remain hidden. If continuity matters, (and to Marvel Studios it’s meant to) how has a man who’s spent years hiding in less developed countries managed to put on a lot of weight and age considerably since we last saw him. I realise the role of The Incredible Hulk is often referred to ‘Hamlet’ in the sense that there are lots of different actor’s takes on the giant, but how can The Incredible Hulk be considered cannon if Bruce Banner looks completely different in The Avengers?
Which brings me to my point. If there were going to be an Incredible Hulk 2, the role of Bruce Banner would again need to be recast. Even if Ruffalo gives us a brilliant performance as Banner next year, he’s not suitable to carry his own Hulk movie. As Green Lantern proved, with comic book movies at an all time high, there are bound to be some bad ones, and if done wrong The Incredible Hulk 2 could be a bad one. The movie will need all the help it can get, meaning a new lead actor who can draw in the big audiences Ruffalo would struggle to do.
People criticise Ang Lee’s Hulk, but the one thing I liked about it was Eric Bana as Bruce. Bana’s portrayal gave The Hulk some depth and drama, which Norton lacked. A new Hulk movie would again need to tap into the mind of Bruce Banner, and how he feels about his inner monster. 2008’s Hulk got it partially right with Banner desperate on the run, but it needed to go that extra mile and when it did, it had its most powerful scene with Bruce Banner attempting suicide in the Arctic cut. Scenes like that would be critical for a new Hulk movie, as comic book movies need to show they have enough depth to succeed.
Lastly, and perhaps the most important factor is making sure the Hulk is seen as a hero. We’ve seen Hulk vs. the military too many times now, and hopefully The Avengers movie will put the green giant back in the hero shoes so a new Hulk movie can hit the ground running. After all, we already have a villain. When we last saw Samuel Sterns, his head was being enlarged by a leaked gamma source. The Leader is a great villain for a Hulk film, as he possesses the power to challenge Banner on an intellectual level, and the Hulk on a physical level. If Hulk 2 is a go, The Leader must be the villain.
Will we actually get an Incredible Hulk 2? I doubt it. I think Marvel will likely stick to their hot properties and are more interested in starting brand new franchises than reviving old ones. I would still love to see a new Hulk film. He’s one of Marvel’s most iconic characters and if Ant-Man can get a movie, so should Hulk.
Simon Walters's Blog 