2008’s The Incredible Hulk is one of the best solo films of the giant gamma giant in his entire history. It starred Edward Norton, who faced both General Ross and Abomination in this film. A rather peculiar detail is the post-credit scene that indicated a possible sequel to The Incredible Hulk, although it never came.
The director of the 2008 production, Louis Leterrier, gave several details about this possible instalment of the green giant. He indicated that the production team had ideas that included characters related to the franchise. He even commented that the current version of the MCU’s Hulk is very different from the gamma monster he showed on the big screen.
Louis Leterrier States About the Cancelled sequel to The Incredible Hulk
Image: Universal
The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier commented about this production in an interview with comicbook.com. In his statements, he talked about the plans they had in 2008 for a possible sequel. He revealed that they had a new installment in mind and that several characters from the saga. This new movie would present characters as Grey Hulk and Red Hulk, who would appear in the sequel.
The director also indicated that the sequel was complete. At that time, all that was missing was the green light for its production. The main problem in carrying it out was the purchase of Fox by Disney. This operation collapsed all plans for a new instalment. The filmmaker also spoke about the version presented later, indicating that it differs from his own.
Leterrier commented that the 2008 Hulk possessed all the characteristics of the comic book character, just as they would in the sequel. That is to say, he was a being full of rage, who tended to get angry easily, and the more he did it, the stronger he became. Now he is a more docile and calm character, especially in the new version of Smart Hulk. This character resembles an adaptation of the Grey Hulk edition.
On the other hand, the filmmaker was asked why he did not talk to Disney and make a new sequel. He explained that it is impossible because the permissions for developing an individual film of this character are from Universal. He also added that Marvel can only make group films such as The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, among others.
The MCU’s Hulk is a Very Complex Character
(Image: Marvel Studios)
Leterrier commented on the MCU’s version of the Hulk. This version of the character is very different from the one presented in his 2008 film. The first thing he emphasized was that the furious version of this character was more oriented to fight and to show that he was the strongest in the world, a fact that we noticed in The Avengers movie when he faced Loki and Thor.
Subsequently, we see a more docile Hulk; for example, in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, we see him more docile, especially when he interacts with Black Widow. Now, after the She-Hulk series, we see a Grey Hulk (Smart Hulk) without a trace of rage, an element that is dissonant with the comics, the animated series and even his version of it.
The Incredible Hulk filmmaker indicated that he planned to portray Grey Hulk in a sequel. This character is much more aggressive than what the MCU offered us. He detailed that his intelligent version would have his aggressiveness and level of fury, albeit diminished, an aspect that matches this character.
There are other marked differences between Leterrier’s Hulk and the MCU Hulk. We can detail that the filmmaker’s Hulk seeks peace and tranquility and does not like conflict. This differs from the Hulk versions from the comics and The Incredible Hulk sequel.
What Hulk Movies will we Get to See?
So far in the MCU, they have shown two versions of the gamma giant. The first was director Ang Lee’s version of the Hulk in 2003. Then we saw the film as mentioned earlier, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, whose sequel was scrapped. The next time we could see him was in the first part of The Avengers, with a character full of anger and a desire to fight. The other issue is Smart Hulk, who first appeared in Avengers: Endgame (2019) and lastly in the She-Hulk series on Disney+.
Now there is a rumor of the possible appearance of Red Hulk with the character of Thunderbolt Ross, played by Harrison Ford. If he were to appear, it would be alongside Captain America in his new film Captain America: Brave New World, which is scheduled for release in 2024.
Featured Image Via Universal