Rumblings of a new solo Hulk project have been pretty consistent since audiences became smitten with Mark Ruffalo’s take on Marvel’s Jade Giant in last year’s The Avengers. While there are certainly big plans for Hulk and his role in Avengers 2, anything more is really just wishful thinking on the part of fans – at least at this point.
Both Joss Whedon and Ruffalo have denied any current plans for a new Hulk solo project or the rumored Planet Hulk storyline for Avengers 2.
Let’s face facts: Hulk doesn’t have the best track record on the big screen. I’m not talking about box office returns, but rather reception. We’re all familiar with the vitriol that’s associated with Ang Lee’s Hulk, but even the reaction to the more action-minded Incredible Hulk was lukewarm. While I admit I’m far more attracted to Ang Lee’s version (final 20 minutes aside), I don’t think even a diehard Incredible Hulk enthusiast would deny that Hulk is clearly the outcast in terms of the movie Avengers.
As Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor are enjoying some much-hyped sequel action, the Hulk is left floundering for attention amongst the larger group (Black Widow needs some love too, but that’s a whole different column). Even Ant-Man and Rocket Raccoon are getting to the big screen before another return for the Green Goliath.
Ruffalo’s turn as Bruce Banner truly resonated with audiences due to his likable charm and brilliance as Banner the scientist, as well as Whedon’s adept understanding of Banner the monster. He smashed and he smashed good, but he didn’t have to carry the movie. I think Whedon nailed it best when he said, “The Hulk is the most difficult Marvel property because it’s always about balance. Is he a monster? Is he a hero? Are you going to root for a protagonist who spends all his time trying to stop the reason you came to the movie from happening?”
Indeed, the most interesting bits of the Hulk character often stem from his internal struggle, which have been covered in the aforementioned movies with varying success. And though Whedon is spot on with his summation of Banner’s character, there’s another approach that is staring Marvel right in the face, begging to be exploited on the big screen.
As part of their Marvel NOW! publishing initiative, Marvel Comics recently launched Indestructible Hulk; a new series by Mark Waid and Leinil Yu (and soon, Walt Simonson!) that forgoes the usual pity party of Banner stewing about his lot in life. Instead, Banner decides to forget the whole “curing the Hulk” thing – accepting that he’s going to Hulk out no matter what – and decides to spend his time on projects to benefit humanity. His new mantra is “Hulk destroys, Banner builds.”
Check Out Our Reviews of Indestructible Hulk
To some degree, the seeds of this idea have been planted in The Avengers in the scenes between Banner and Tony Stark. But the real opportunity of Indestructible Hulk comes from its other hook: in order to acquire the necessary resources for his new endeavors, Banner offers his Hulked-out services to S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for a lab, personnel, and equipment. Hulk is the bullet; all S.H.I.E.L.D. has to do is point the gun in the right direction and the Hulk does what he does. Considering S.H.I.E.L.D. is such an integral role of the cinematic Marvel Universe, it’s a natural way to fit more Hulk-centric storylines into the larger tapestry.
Let’s not forgot, way back before the smashing success of Avengers – though still in the midst of Marvel’s Phase One – there was a Hulk TV show in development by Marvel and Guillermo del Toro. Though they were always coy about how it would relate to the movie Hulk, at this point, it’s clear Disney is fully invested in this shared universe idea. But with a S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show now in the works – which we assume will make it to series – why not combine those two ideas and incorporate the Hulk into that show instead?
If a solo Hulk movie is still off the table, perhaps an occasional presence on S.H.I.E.L.D. and involvement in Avengers 2 will be enough to keep us Hulk fans satisfied while still evolving that character’s overall role in this universe.
Certainly Hulk has proven to be a character that’s difficult to digest in large doses, but that’s not to say it can’t ever be done. There have been stops and starts to the Hulk character on screen; Ang Lee’s movie failed to spawn a sequel and Incredible Hulk is only still relevant because of its connection to The Avengers.
But Marvel has finally found a Bruce Banner in Mark Ruffalo that is almost universally acclaimed, and they’ve got on opportunity to make good on their past missteps with the franchise. I’m confident in the Hulk’s live-action future; the fact that they aren’t chomping at the bit to launch a new Hulk movie tells me that they’re invested in making sure they do it right, as opposed to doing it easy.
Joey is a Senior Editor at IGN and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He's gonna re-read Hulk: Gray tonight.
Source : ign[dot]com
No comments:
Post a Comment