THE INCREDIBLE HULK Director Says a Sequel Would Have Introduced Variant Hulks
Just like Marvel’s kickoff film, Iron Man, the movie The Incredible Hulk is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. But unlike its predecessor, which came out just a month ahead, The Incredible Hulk never did get to continue its story or hold much weight in the MCU. Its director, Louis Leterrier, who also helmed The Transporter, Now You See Me, and most recently Fast X, sat down with Comic Book, and weighed in on what could have happened if his vision had seen a sequel or two.
The director explained that Incredible Hulk 2 would've seen various versions of Hulk introduced into the MCU: "There was like Grey Hulk, Red Hulks – there was a lot of good stuff that we were planning." Leterrier described Incredible Hulk 2 as having both Bruce Banner's alternate "Grey Hulk" persona and not one but seemingly multiple Red Hulks, which seemingly would have been Live Tyler’s Betty Ross, and Thaddeus Ross, played then by the late William Hurt.
The MCU didn't venture much deeper into Hulk lore after Incredible Hulk (2008) – not until She-Hulk debuted in 2022. Now rumors are swirling that the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World will debut Harrison Ford as Red Hulk, with Liv Tyler possibly making a return to the franchise to play Red She-Hulk.
"Hulk is a complex character within the Marvel Universe," Leterrier admitted. "You want the primeval Hulk... the rage Hulk. And then when you go Grey Hulk and Smart Hulk you lose that a little bit and you get a little bit more kiddish with it."
Leterrier was careful to conclude by saying the Hulk we see now is very far away from the Hulk he was trying to build:
"But that was the fun of where I was in my movie, with the access to consciousness and all that stuff. That was really fun. And that's what I was aiming to do. But take my time with it. Because there's so many characters they want it all fast [laughs]. I like She-Hulk, but then you know, yoga between Hulk and... I was like 'Okay! yeah, we're very far from my Hulk.'"
Would you have liked to have seen what Leterrier was going to do with his Hulk? What are you hoping to see done with the character in the MCU’s future?