Marvel Has Big Plans For The Hulk As Hero
Marvel execs are notoriously tightlipped and no formal announcements have been made. But now SVP Marvel licensing Paul Gitter tells Forbes magazine that he and his colleagues have been “pleasantly surprised by the phenomenal response” to the Hulk already &mdash&; even before The Avengers opened. “His sales are up in a major way. We repositioned him from where he was always misunderstood to now depicting him in a more heroic and aspirational manner.” Now fanboys have their first look at Mark Ruffalo’s iteration of the Hulk and they like what they see. Gitter says Marvel “will spin him off to a stand-alone program next year,” which Forbes says is “presumably supported by another big budget franchise movie in 2015. The entertainment studio is also exploring ways to promote Hulk as a ‘corporate icon’ similar to MetLife’s usage of Peanuts’ Snoopy, with Hulk’s image conveying a message about channeling strength to overcome workplace challenges.” This is a marked change from what Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Collider recently. “…Every time I see a good take or a good storyline or read some good pages, I think, ‘Oh should we make a movie about this?’ But with the Hulk we’re gonna play it very carefully. We had varying degrees of success on those first two movies, so we’re not gonna say, ‘Oh we did it! Another one!’ We’re gonna be smart about it and play it out. There are no plans right now to do another Hulk. Hulk might be just the special guest in Avengers movies, who knows?” Feige also told The Huffington Post that Marvel put “everything they had and everything they were going for into Hulk’s appearance in Avengers” so it’s “mission accomplished at this point.” According to Collider, a Hulk TV series is in development by Guillermo del Toro and Battlestar Galactica producer David Eick that would develop the original story of Bruce Banner in his mid-20s, and Jeph Loeb, head of Marvel Television, recently confirmed that the live-action show is in active development at ABC.
Related: ‘AVENGERS’ BOX OFFICE: Is This Hollywood’s Biggest Ever – Or Not?
Also look for Marvel to “synergize” the Avengers into a “multi-platform brand that can live 365 days a year,” Gitter says. To that end, Marvel is introducing digital initiatives, new print and comic book titles, and The Avengers animated TV series in 2013, in addition to the threequel and sequel films in the works. Although the Black Widow isn’t yet scheduled for her own stand-alone movie, the character’s lifestyle will inspire a collection of athletic gear and beauty products. As for whether Marvel superheroes will join Disney theme parks or star on Broadway, Gitter doesn’t directly confirm these initiatives, only stating that Marvel is “exploring all land-based opportunities, including stand-alone shows and attractions.”
There’s something about Mark Ruffalo that I just love. I’d watch him in a standalone movie. There’s just a way about him that makes for a really interesting Dr Banner.
Yes, Mark Ruffalo is an inspired and inspiring casting choice and audiences are responding in kind. In other words, Ruffalo’s HULK will generate far more excitement than the upcoming SPIDERMAN. Bring it on!
I like Edward Norton better than Mark Ruffalo because Norton has more to bring than just the Hulk to bring to the Character.Norton will be return back to the Incredible Hulk 2 role in 2015 not Ruffalo because he too wasteful as the Bruce Banner/Hulk because he has a Muiltple Hulk contract.
I know that the Incredible Hulk 2 will be a Sequel and Norton will be contracted to return to the role as Bruce Banner/Hulk in 2015 produce by Gale Anne Hurd as a Vanhalla major motion pictures production.
Of the 3 recent films, this is the best incarnation yet of the Hulk.
“Hulk” domestic gross: $130 million
“The Incredible Hulk” domestic gross: $130 million
What’s that adage about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?
$150+ million production budget….
I don’t believe the plan is to do the same thing. The depiction of The Hulk in The Avengers is much more engaging to me than the previous movies. It is a character I would be more inclined to see developed.
I actually didn’t think The Incredible Hulk was that bad and I’m a lifelong fan of the character. There were even a lot of great scenes that got deleted on the blu-ray, stuff that fleshed out the character and made me care more. I wish they were left in. Also, a lot of people don’t realize, as much as Norton was a pain-in-the-ass, he also loved the Hulk growing up and wanted to nail the character. So what it’s three times, sometimes it takes a few tries before you get it right and I was skeptical of Ruffalo, but his delivery and his body language are perfect for Banner and they finally digitally rendered the Hulk in a photorealistic manner (most of the time). Now they have that digital asset and and actor that people love in the role as well as a roadmap of what do do and not do with the character, so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel for another feature film. It’s almost like The Avengers was R&D for ways to switch things up and get these guys ready for more of their own films as well… seriously well played, Marvel. We can only hope that Disney doesn’t step in to muck everything up by playing the busybody corporate overlord.
Something Ang Lee tried (and failed) to incorporate into the first Hulk film was the child abuse angle at the hands of his father. In the comic version, Peter David used that as a springboard for diagnosing the Hulk as a multiple personality disorder, with Bruce Banner being repressed and the Hulk being the stunted child who never grew up now acting out in a rage. That’s probably way deeper than Marvel will go in another movie version, but done right it has a ton of potential.
Just so you know?
There’s already an Avengers animated series. It’s been on since last year. And it’s quite good.
I know I love it. I dont know why they would need to replace it so soon
“‘corporate icon’ similar to MetLife’s usage of Peanuts’ Snoopy, with Hulk’s image conveying a message about channeling strength to overcome workplace challenges.”
Yes, going crazy and smashing things is a great way to overcome workplace challenges.
Mark Ruffalo was excellent as The Hulk. So long as the people who use words like ‘synergize’ and have stupid ideas like Hulk work messaging stay at of the way, I think the right director could make a good Hulk movie.
Smart comment.
In these “economic times” (yeah, I know, it already feels played) adopting a superhuman mass with seemingly limitless strength that can’t be quelled or controlled in any manner as your “Corporate Symbol”?
Really?
That ought to work.
There is a message there with the Hulk character. It’s not simply “lose your temper and shamsh things”. It’s using anger as a positive thing, like what Banner does at the end of the Avengers. It’s a metaphor.
Nice to see the Hulk being repositioned as ‘aspirational.’ Who doesn’t dream of turning green and tearing up the workplace? IN GOD’S NAME, NO MORE HULK MOVIES PLEASE.
They can all thank Joss Whedon for his take on him – written quite differently than the previous versions. His electric scenes with RDJ/Stark really hit Ruffalo’s sweet spot. The two of them together was magic.
THE REASON WHY HULK WORKS IN THE AVENGERS…
He’s hardly in it…. less is more. And he’s comic relief in this as well. Literally has the funniest lines and bits in the movie.
Again, less is more.
Lee
Hulk was the best thing about The Avengers precisely because he wasn’t carrying the entire movie…his brute size and strength were hilarious and exciting IN CONTRAST to the more controlled demonstrations of power of his teammates. No stopping anyone from cashing in on his resurgent popularity…but I think they’ll have a hard time recapturing the fun of Hulk in The Avengers.
The Hulk is not a super hero he is a tragic hero.
Stop trying to make him into something he can never be.