The Hulk has had quite a cinematic ride. The first two attempts on-screen, Hulk (2003) and The Incredible Hulk (2008), were moderate successes but neither garnered any studio support. Things changed with 2012’s The Avengers. Director Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios lead Kevin Feige opted to insert him into the film as a wild card. At times a hindrance to the team and at other times he was the most vital team member. The Hulk’s full cinematic impact was finally felt and he was a crowd favorite. So is Marvel Studios planning on making another Hulk solo film? Feige had this to say to Joblo:

 

It’s a good question. I would love to do that with Mark Ruffalo. But part of the fun of AGE OF ULTRON was saying, you’ve seen another IRON MAN adventure before, you see another THOR adventure and another CAP adventure, but we haven’t seen the Green Goliath again. So that was important in the characters you haven’t seen – Hulk being one of them and Hawkeye being one of them – ULTRON will make up for it. They have very big parts in AGE OF ULTRON.

 

In The Avengers, Hawkeye was a little more than a puppet for most of the film, so it is good to hear that actor Jeremy Renner will be able to spread his wings this time around. However, as any fan of Whedon should know… that doesn’t guarantee he is safe the whole film. It seems Marvel is really looking to keep audiences guessing, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how he will fit into the larger plot.

 

 

Feige mentioned that these characters don’t have their own solo franchises currently, so expect huge set pieces that need….smashing. Avengers: Age of Ultron has been shooting huge action sequences in South Africa and judging by the production artwork, the Hulk will be integral to them. By the end of The Avengers sequel, we should know much more about the future cinematic adventures of the green goliath. It would be a treat if they could reposition him to once again have his own franchise. Planet Hulk anyone?

 

 

SOURCE: JoBlo and Marvel/ABC

 

-Braxter Timberlake-