Wednesday, September 2
A few weeks ago, Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier went on record saying he didn't want to direct a Hulk sequel, but rather "another superhero [movie], something I can really put my stamp on." Looks like Leterrier has changed his mind and would like to reunite with Edward Norton for Incredible Hulk 2 after all.
Yeah, he's a great actor and a great Hulk. ... Sure. I'd return to it. I have some ideas. So many ideas for so many things.
Leterrier's response came before Disney purchased Marvel for $4 billion dollars. Wth Hulk likely appearing in The Avengers, Incredible Hulk 2 would have to wait until after Avengers is released, which could be pushed back a while. Should the studio begin working on an Incredible Hulk 2 script, producer Gale Anne Hurd has said that having Tim Blake Nelson return to play the villain The Leader "would be a blast."
Posted 9/2/2009 by Ryan
Related: Edward Norton | Louis Leterrier | The Incredible Hulk | The Incredible Hulk 2
Tuesday, August 11
The LA Times caught up with Louis Leterrier on the set of his upcoming Clash of the Titans, where The Incredible Hulk director talked about The Avengers and the upcoming Marvel movies. The French director revealed that he wants to make another Marvel movie, but Leterrier seemed uncommitted to making The Incredible Hulk 2.
Well, so far, no. I am contracted to do one more film with Marvel so when I'm done here with [Titans] I will go back to say to them, "Guys you need me? Is there something I can do?"
Leterrier explained that making The Incredible Hulk took its toll on him.
Hulk was such a challenge. It was to reboot something and follow [the Ang Lee-directed 2003 Hulk] movie that was absolutely adored by part of the fan population and then absolutely hated by another part. It was complicated for me. I wasn't sure what to do with that history. I did my Hulk but it was not easy. If I do another Hulk film it will always be compared to the Ang Leething, and my first one … if I come back I'd love to do another superhero, something different that I can really put my touch on.
So if Leterrier isn't willing to direct the next Incredible Hulk, what movie would he want to direct?
I would love to do the Avengers film. I'd love to work with Marvel again. I loved working with them. I like [Marvel President of Production] Kevin Feige, he's a good guy and a fan. I love him. I feel really good at Marvelbecause they are people my age who are obsessed with movies and comic books. We talk about the same things. And they are not the nerd army — they like when you change something [away from Marvel canon] if there's a good reason, they're open to new things. Kevin is smart about movies and he takes risks. I would work with him tomorrow. But it has to be the right project.
But directing The Avengers isn't all Leterrier wants. He outlined a much larger dream for The Avengers that surely had Feige and his fellow Marvel executives talking.
I'll tell you my real dream: To work with [First Avenger: Captain America director] Joe Johnston and [Thor director] Kenneth Branagh and Jon Favreau and make like a triptych. We do four movies. We release them one a month for the summer. Or even every two weeks or three weeks. And the whole summer would be Avengers summer. So we do it the way they make television shows. One story arc but told in installments by different directors. So all of the directors that touch part of the Avengers world would do a part; wecould make the movies shorter, maybe less than an hour and a half, and we use the same sets and save Marvel money. I would love to sit around a table with all of them a kick around the story. That's my dream.
Posted 8/11/2009 by Ryan
Related: Joe Johnston | Jon Favreau | Kevin Feige | Ang Lee | The Hulk | Louis Leterrier | Kenneth Branagh | The Incredible Hulk | The Avengers | The Incredible Hulk 2
Saturday, August 1
Marvel's President of Production Kevin Feige has previously stated that he'd like to see The Hulk in The Avengers and mentioned at the San Diego Comic-Con that "it's safe to assume that there will be some members of the Hulk universe" in the movie as well. So if Hulk is to appear in the The Avengers, does that mean Edward Norton will reprise the role? Norton is keeping things mysterious:
I won't comment on that, just because they [Marvel] keep a pretty tight reign on what they are letting out. I'll let them say.
The Hulk is also scheduled to appear briefly in Iron Man 2, much like Robert Downey Jr. showed up in The Incredible Hulk. Norton is signed to do another Hulk, though whether that means he will also be in The Avengers is something only Marvel can say for sure.
Posted 8/1/2009 by Ryan
Related: Edward Norton | Kevin Feige | Iron Man 2 | The Avengers | The Incredible Hulk 2
Tuesday, June 9
Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige has been very busy lately speaking about the upcoming slate of movies Marvel has in production, from The Avengers to Thor and even Ant-Man, giving plenty of updates about each one.
While he could not confirm another Incredible Hulk movie, Feige did confirm that Hulk will appear in The Avengers:
Now at least we can talk about Hulk being onscreen and Hulk being in a movie. It will have been four years since he was in a movie by that point. By 2012, I'd like to see him in it. We're just starting the story. I was on the phone with [Avengers screenwriter] Zak Penn this morning. He's coming in next week and he's going to work on the outline this summer. It's so intertwined with what we're doing before it. I almost wanted to get done with production on Iron Man 2, and the scripts to Thor and The First Avenger: Captain America well underway, before we even started The Avengers.
With many of the movies being intertwined, this means that several characters will make appearances in different movies, in particular Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Feige explained that he hopes to provide fans with a comic book experience, where characters from other books show up unexpectedly.
Feige gave an update on Thor confirming that Donald Blake, Thor's human alter ego, will not appear in Thor, which will take place on both Earth and Asgard. Meanwhile, The First Avenger: Captain America will "primarily" be a period piece taking place during World War II, with an appearance by Cap's sidekick Bucky "a safe bet."
As for casting Captain America, Feige clearly hasn't made a decision:
There are only a handful of stars that mean anything here, much lessoverseas. I do think that will be a factor in it. As long as we have the freedom to cast the best actor for the part. Whether it's an actorwho's been a great actor, but hasn't starred in marquee action movies before like Robert Downey, or somebody that came out of Australia that we've never heard.
As for the Ant-Man adaptation that Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright is working on, Feige said:
I want to make Ant-Man one of these days. I think that'll be surprising and funny. I love Edgar Wright. What he likes about it is that when he says he's doing Ant-Man, people go, 'Ant-Man? What thehell is that?' I think that's funny.
Ant-Man isn't the only movie Feige hopes to make post-Avengers, he's also excited about Doctor Strange:
I think Doctor Strange would kick ass. I think we've done very well atthis street-level superhero aspect of the Marvel Universe. I think with Thor, you'll see us cracking into the cosmic side of the MarvelUniverse in a very good way that's never been done before in our movies. I'd love to get into that supernatural element.
Marvel and Feige clearly have a lot on the horizon. However, ultimately, it's The Avengers that Feige is most excited about:
I think The Avengers is going to have it's own vibe. It'll have a different tone than the other Marvel movies. It is about saving the world, because there's no other reason for characters that powerful to band together. I think the scope and the scale will feel like a much bigger thing.
Iron Man 2 opens May 7, 2010, while Thor and The First Avenger: Captain America are due May 20 and July 22 of 2011, respectively. The Avengers should open May 4, 2012.
Posted 6/9/2009 by Ryan
Related: Kevin Feige | Scarlett Johansson | Zak Penn | Shaun of the Dead | Samuel L. Jackson | Robert Downey Jr. | Thor | The Incredible Hulk | Iron Man 2 | First Avenger: Captain America | The Avengers | Tom Hiddleston | Edgar Wright | The Incredible Hulk 2 | Ant-Man | Chris Hemsworth
Monday, November 24
While Edward Norton's future with The Incredible Hulk franchise may be in limbo, both Tim Blake Nelson and producer Gale Anne Hurd spoke positively to MTV about the future of the Hulk sequels. Hurd noted that having Nelson return in Hulk 2 as The Leader "would be a blast" and that Norton's involvement will "depend on the screenplay and where his character goes in any sequel, because he does have a multiple-picture deal."
Meanwhile, Nelson is pretty excited to battle Hulk in the upcoming sequel, with or without Norton. "When I agreed to do 'Hulk,' I signed off for two sequels, so it's a moot question. I certainly hope Edward is on the sequel -- but that's up to Marvel and Edward."
Posted 11/24/2008 by reelz
Related: Edward Norton | Gale Anne Hurd | Tim Blake Nelson | The Incredible Hulk 2