Perhaps The Hulk will get the films he deserve after a long time coming.
It’s nothing new that Ang Lee’s Hulk didn’t resonate well with critics or fans of the Incredible Hulk, and while that particular film has nothing to do with the MCU, it likely impacted Marvel’s decision on running a franchise solely on Bruce Banner and his massive green alter ego. That didn’t stop them from trying it out, however with Edward Norton in the titular role of ‘The Incredible Hulk’. By no means a major money-maker for Marvel, TIH still happened to do well enough in the box office and also receive positive reviews from fans and critics alike.
Unfortunately Edward Norton stepped down due to creative differences and was never on-screen with another Avenger (although Robert Downey Jr did appear in a post-credits scene as Tony Stark with “Thunderbolt” Ross”). Mark Ruffalo picked up where the previous film left off (in a manner of speaking), leaving some fans to semi-consider whether or not Norton’s Hulk film is or is not a part of the MCU after all.
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We seriously can’t wait for this.
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Since then, Ruffalo has appeared in Avenger’s related ensemble films and that’s about it. However, the actor is set to return in a co-starring major role in November’s Thor: Ragnarok, which sees a comic plot crossover between Planet Hulk and Ragnarok. But what happens after that? Surely Thor and Hulk have some friction and issues to work out, with great chemistry together in a pairing team-up film. Well, it sounds like Ruffalo may have shed some light on that after a chat with Cinema Blend.
“So basically, Kevin [Feige] pulled me aside before this, and said, ‘If you were gonna do a… if we were going to do a standalone Hulk movie, what would it be?’
“And I said, ‘I think it should be this, this, this, and this and this, and ends up like this.’
“And he’s like, ‘I love that. Why don’t we do that in the next three movies, starting with Thor 3 and then we go into Avengers 3 and 4.’
“And I was like, ‘That sounds great!’ And so we are at the beginning of this arc.”
“Did we just become best friends?”
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Having spoken to Empire, Ruffalo teased just where Hulk has been and what he’s been up to between Civil War and Ragnarok, which will undoubtedly be covered in the upcoming third Thor film.
“When we find him, he’s been Hulk for two years and now he’s the gladiator champion of Sakaar, so he’s enjoying quite a bit of fame and adulation.
“He’s also aware of being hated on Earth and feared by the Avengers, he has no interest in going back. He’s enjoying himself!
“Yeah, he speaks now. Even though it’s somewhat rudimentary. And he can also exist without always being angry. He’s reborn. And he likes it.”
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Debuting in the UK on October 24th and the US on November 2nd in the US, Thor Ragnarok promises to showcase the Hulk in a manner of which we have never seen.
