The Avengers

This may not be coming for a few years yet but its one we are all waiting for.

Here is some recent news relevant to all us Hulk fans I dont think we got a chance to discuss...

HULK IS IN THE AVENGERS!

Kevin Feige on Upcoming Marvel Studios Films

Source:SFX Magazine January 26, 2010


SFX Magazine's March issue features an interview with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige in which he talks more about the studio's upcoming projects and makes one fairly big reveal.

Feige talked about how Iron Man, Iron Man 2 (May 7), Thor (May 6, 2011) and The First Avenger: Captain America (July 22, 2011) will lay the foundation for what should be the ultimate superhero epic - The Avengers (May 4, 2012).

"It's fun now, and we're introducing some new characters in ['Iron Man 2']," he told the magazine. "But it's not about just cramming in lots of new people; that's sort of the cardinal sin of the sequel - adding in too many characters. This is totally Tony Stark's story. And that's gonna weave into Thor's story, and Steve Rogers' story, and it's already ingrained with Nick Fury's story and an organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D."

He says that it is important to first focus on each character. "My only concern is that when we launch a franchise--whichever character's franchise that may be--it should stand on its own two feet... So by the time 'The Avengers' comes in 2012, it's not just a team superhero movie with a bunch of characters with powers. It's three people - four including the Hulk; five including Nick Fury - who you've seen before in other movies, coming together for the very first time."

Catch that Hulk bit? Feige also said that he won't rule out the possibility of a second Incredible Hulk film with Edward Norton. "That would be post-'Avengers,' if it happened... I think there's a chance. It's certainly our intention to use the same actors from film to film where we can."

Feige was asked it will be difficult to meld the fantasy of Thor with the high-tech science fiction in Iron Man and The Avengers. "No," he said, "because we're doing the Jack Kirby/Stan Lee/Walt Simonson/J. Michael Straczynski 'Thor.' We're not doing the blow-the-dust-off-of-the-old-Norse-book-in-your-library 'Thor.' And in the 'Thor' of the Marvel Universe, there's a race called the Asgardians. And we're linked through this Tree of Life that we're unaware of. It's real science, but we don't know about it yet. The 'Thor' movie is about teaching people that."

The magazine asked Feige what other characters may come to the big screen after The Avengers. "I love Doctor Strange. Ant-Man is like Whiplash - one of those chracters where you're like, 'Really?' that we've got a fun story with. I've always wanted to do something with Black Panther. I think what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done with Iron Fist lately is great, and the Iron Fist mythology opens up a whole other part to us. I'd love to break into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe even more- it's kind of there in 'Thor.' J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek' got me jonesing to do that. It's what I grew up on - 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars.' I want to do a big space epic. And we've got them in Marvel."

Quote :

It's three people - four including the Hulk

Feige also said that he won't rule out the possibility of a second Incredible Hulk film with Edward Norton. "That would be post-'Avengers,' if it happened... I think there's a chance. It's certainly our intention to use the same actors from film to film where we can."

The assumption I am making from the above is that it will only be the Hulk in the Avengers and no Banner because of the seeming dubiety over Edward Norton in a second Hulk movie thought they want him and no talk of him in the Avengers. I wonder how big a role our green goliath will play then and if he will contribute to anything in the group other than smashing. It would be cool imo to have him at odds with one or more members and to speak with some intelligence so he can argue and not just grunt alot.

Thanks for starting this thread.

The only things I took from Feige's comments about Hulk/Avengers:

1) Hulk will be in Avengers
2) There will be no Hulk movie pre-Avengers
3) We are open to the possibility of a post Avengers Hulk movie with Ed Norton

While it is certain that they can do Avengers without Norton--or even Bruce Banner--I'm not so sure they'd want to. I think Marvel knows its bread-and-butter lies with the kind of character interaction seen in Iron Man, and I think they'd have to be pretty excited about the potential of Ed Norton onscreen with RDJ, Sam Jackson, etc. I have a really hard time believing that they are open to a Hulk sequel with Norton but don't plan for him to be in the film that will precede it: possibly the biggest superhero movie ever.

And as much as I like the Hulk, I don't think he would be nearly as interesting onscreen without the complexity of Banner to counterbalance.

It's still early. There are likely be many financial issues to work out with an unprecedented project of this kind and they may simply not have worked out all the details. Who gets how much screen time? Who gets paid what? The script is still in the early stages and two other films have yet to wrap. Add the Disney purchase and there are a lot of factors involved. Until either party says he's definitely not a part of Avengers, I'm going to assume there's still a relationship there and he's in the mix--especially given his enthusiastic comments from last year. I think at this point, more important than what's being said is what isn't.

I hope Banner and Norton are in the Avengers even though I was displeased with what seemed a bit of a heightened ego in Nortons case in the Incredible Hulk (I was going to say the first Hulk but that wouldn't be right would it). A new Bana for each Hulk incarnation is a bad idea and imo Norton made a more interesting Banner than Bana as Banas Banner was Bana being the same Bana like in every Bana film as opposed to being Banner! I say ban Bana from Banner. But Im joking and I digress! I also ask NG and all Bana lovers to forgive me. Especially NG.

Yes Scandy we must be positive.

Looking forward to this. Hope it all works out and they get Norton back. It wouldn't feel right without him.

Welcome on Board kendrell

I just wish we didn't have to wait so long

Found this over on spoiler TV, gives you hope about our favorite Green Skinned Goliath showing up in Marvel movies...

Everyone wants to know about ‘The Avengers’ now that it’s been announced. Jon Favreau is producing but who is the director?

They're still unclear at this time, but narrowing it down to candidates. As a fan of the comics, what's exciting to me is finally seeing S.H.I.E.L.D. in action. How they take control of situations, shut things down and maybe even make people disappear. It'll be the first time we see what they really do and their advanced technology like the heli-carrier.

There's also talk of the Hulk being the villain in The Avengers. Perhaps through a misunderstanding by the team or under Loki's influence...

I think in the first Avengers film, the Hulk should be the villain, in a way. There should also be another arc in the story or perhaps a bigger storyline. The Hulk personally is my favorite character in all comics. He’s the guy who represents the inner rage and the animal inside of everyone and I think something’s gotta drive him where he thinks he’s under attack by these guys who are basically just trying to subdue him. It sets up an interesting dynamic. I don’t think the Hulk should be the main villain, but I think he should be a distraction. I think everyone else is in order and he’s the only one who, at a moments notice, can go off. He represents rage in all man.

At the end of The Incredible Hulk Tony Stark has a cameo where he says to Gen. Ross, “You have a problem.”

Exactly. You need to have the Hulk brought under control. And that’s what they want. “This guy could be the most powerful being on earth and he should be dealing with us. We don’t want him to fall into enemy hands.” I think if you have something like that where they are trying to wrangle him in and then realize they really do need him. That was basically the story line with the Incredible Hulk. The Hulk was always trying to be subdued, always trying to be controlled. But when the sh*t hit the fan, who would come in to save the day? The Incredible Hulk, one of the most powerful beings on the planet. The problem with that is that he’s unpredictable. You never know what he's going to do. Though they suggested at the end of that film that Bruce Banner had finally mastered control over his transformations and perhaps the monster so that element might work too.

Do you think there’s gonna be another Hulk movie?

I don’t know. I think there should be another Hulk movie because let's face it, Ang Lee's version wasn't the best interpretation. Edward Norton's Hulk was a little more faithful to the material. I wish it had been a little more successful because then it would lock him in. If somewhere down the line they do Planet Hulk which is when the Avengers try to trick him to do this mission, then sedate him and shoot him into space, that might be nice too. He lands on an alien planet, becomes a gladiator and eventually leads a race of warriors back to Earth. That would be nice to see in live action. Seeing him seek revenge on those that betrayed him, Mr. Fantastic, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and even ripping the roof off Madison Square Garden. Something like that could be huge and I think Hulk deserves a movie like that. But the next time we see him will probably be in The Avengers movie.

Read more: http://www.movies.spoilertv.com/2010/03/marvel-movie-round-up-news-from-insider.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Spoilertv-Movies+%28SpoilerTV+-+Movies%29#ixzz0i4bEoFI6

Looks promising for Norton reprising Banner role in The Avengers -

Exclusive: Edward Norton Addresses the Marvel Issues
Source: Edward Douglas March 13, 2010 ( http://www.superherohype.com/news/hulknews.php?id=9154 )

A few years ago, actors Edward Norton and Tim Blake Nelson appeared together in Louis Letterier's The Incredible Hulk. Not many people realized that Norton was partially responsible for bringing Nelson on board for the role of Samuel Sterns, as the two had already been working together on a couple of movies, the one that came to fruition being Nelson's original comedy Leaves of Grass in which Norton plays a dual role of two very different identical twins.

Earlier today, ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype had a chance to talk with the duo about the movie, and since we hadn't really spoken with Norton for some time--well before he was cast in the Marvel Studios movie--we wanted to ask him about the current status of his relationship with the studio, especially since all their individual movies seem to be building to The Avengers, in which the Hulk is rumored to be one of the villains. For those unaware, Norton had some issues with the final cut of Louis Letterier's movie, which he had co-written, but when asked in the years since then, he has been somewhat dismissive of the idea of returning.

When asked today whether he has had any communication with Marvel since then, Norton's response was cheerfully optimistic about things working themselves out. "Yeah, to some degree, through my agents," he told us, "But there's always been an agenda I think to unspool a lot of the Marvel Universe and then come back... I think they've got a lot of new stuff that they're rolling out and then I think at some point they're going to figure out how they want to get around to 'Avengers.'"

"The main guy I had a beef with there left anyways, as always happens," he admitted. "As David Mamet said, 'Just wait 'em out cause they'll be gone, and you'll still be there.'"

Wise man, that David Mamet.

Look for our full interview with the duo sometime later this month over on ComingSoon.net before Leaves of Grass opens in select cities on April 2.

The Hulk UK wrote:http://www.superherohype.com/news/captainamericanews.php?id=9193
Source: Heat Vision, Variety March 22, 2010

He would reprise the role in The Avengers, which will united Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton) in one film. That film is scheduled for May 4, 2012. The character also will likely make cameo appearances in Marvel's other films.

The Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton) . Is this just a guess, a rumour, or do they know something is for definite

Large grain of salt my friend. Big time!

I think they're just assuming based on the the existing lineup of actors. Nothing definite to be found there. Cool to get the final piece of the main puzzle, though. Now I'm just wondering if Hawkeye will make it in, as Marvel has been considering, and who will direct.

Joss Whedon to direct the Avengers.

Never watched a single episode of anything he created or read anything he wrote, but I know he has a lot of fans. Any here? What do you think?

He seems capable. (I watched all of Buffy and some Angel) I'm not 100% a fan of his dialogue writing but as a director I'm sure he'll do fine. At least they picked someone with "nerd cred" for this....there are enough references sprinkled throughout his shows that indicate he's read a comic or two in his day.

I love JW. I think he can handle the task.

REALLY wanted to see his Wonder Woman come to life. :(

Joss Whedon has proven succesful at putting teams together whether it be the Buffy, Angel, Firefly or even Dollhouse crew. One of the bigget shames was how Firefly was messed about with in its initial TV schedule to the point it didnt get the chance to shine until Fox, I believe it was, decided to pull the plug. Joss knows how the team dynamic works and can tell a good action oriented scifi / fantasy/ horror story.

Didnt think it was time to start a new Hulk movie thread and the Avengers are mentioned in this..
http://uk.movies.ign.com/dor/objects/14293438/the-incredible-hulk-2/videos/hulk2_letterier_040910.html;jsessionid=1q7wc6ypksnh7

Leterrier obviously doesnt have a clue about how the marvel universe works then.

Last weekend I...had a dream. And in this dream, someone connected to a movie coming out in 2011 showed me a shot of something from that movie. Something that was such a pure badass translation from the comics that I nearly pissed myself. Something that would damn near inspire Jack Kirby himself to rise from the grave just to see it in action. Something that made me think that this movie is going to be ridiculously badass despite the studio not making so much as a frame of footage public to date.

It was an amazing dream. Fans of this character and his universe would fall over themselves to see something like that onscreen, if it wasn't just my dream and was actually going to be included.

Yep.

They sure would.

Please tell me that you didn't see a Hulk redesign....

I didn't see a Hulk redesign. My dream had nothing to do with the Hulk.

Well, spill the beans oh keeper of the I'm not telling you have to guess secret

More rumor and news:

- Jeremy Renner close to signing on as Hawkeye.

- Avengers villains rumored to be the Skrulls.

- Jon Favreau says Robert Downney Jr. will not make an appeareance in either Thor or Cap, but confirms Hulk is in Avengers.

Do you remember last year or so when there was a rumor about Norton and Frenchy puting together a directors cut. Have you heard anything more about this? If they were to do that do you think they'd release it around the time of the Avengers with the Cap in ice scene so it could tie in better with their time line?

I remember the rumor, but I have seen nor heard nothing to verify it. And until I hear otherwise, I don't believe it:

1. Ed Norton's statements throughout last year did not really seem to reflect a guy who was working closely with Marvel. That's not to say they were negative in any way, just that he did not sound "in the loop" regarding future projects.

2. Marvel released a ton of scenes-- including that one-- on the "special edition" DVD. That was a clear message that the theatrical release is canon, and any scenes left out were just that: unused footage. Also, it's an unfinished FX scene and I have a very difficult time believing Marvel would pay to have it restored for a future edition. It's one thing to pay for footage enhancement; another entirely to pay for new FX for a (what will be by then) 4-year old film, which leads us back to...

3. ...the Favreau comment about RDJ not appearing in THOR or CAP. This seems to emphasize that Marvel is very serious about treating these two films as individual works. Yet, Cap is the last Marvel film before AVENGERS, and Feige said last year that the film would lead into AVENGERS "in a really cool way." So how will Cap be discovered? I don't know, but I would be very surprised if there were any reference at all to the Hulk iceberg scene. It never appeared in the film, and it would seem very odd for Marvel to reference that. I just can't believe that Marvel is going to hinge the most pivotal scene in Cap's film on a scene that never even made it to theatrical release for a four-year old film that did so-so at the box office.

Here's my uninformed, unofficial guess from connected the dots we've been given so far: Nick Fury is confirmed for Cap. So is Dum Dum Dugan, a classic SHIELD character. So is young Howard Stark, Tony's father. Fury mentioned to Tony in IM2 that he worked with Howard.

Fury and the Howling Commandos will make an appearance in WWII, and also in the present day. The recovery of Cap will be Fury-centric. If there is any reference to the Hulk, it will be in passing...and in no way, shape or form invoke the scene on the DVD other than that Cap is pulled from an iceberg.

Just my two cents, but we'll see.

I only asked because yesterday I was looking for what I consider the quintessential pix of Cap and when I Googled Cap, The Ice berg shot came up. Maybe a little wishful thinking on my part as well.

I am having a hard time trusting Marvel to get this right. They may get the costumes right but their story telling leaves something to be desired. I finally saw IM2 and thought it was “ok”. Did not like the final whiplash costume at all. I feel they could have done so much more with this character. The story seemd a little rushed. almost like an after thought to setups they needed to include. Maybe it's just me. But I still had a good time watching it and will most likely buy the DVD. The after credits scene give my hope that they will indeed get it right. On the other hand, I sure hope all this built up to the Avengers isn’t just a fizzle when they finally release it.

Yeah, I agree with your take on IM2. And really--it was rushed, at least compared to the time Favreau would have liked to have had. I'm wondering if we aren't going to find out that a just over a year from principal photography to post really isn't enough for these films.

Well, that's just my guess; nothing more. Mainly, though, I think that Marvel simply doesn't want to lock themselves into anything given that Cap hasn't even started shooting yet. They may end up using that idea (Hulk being involved) but in a different way. To me, that great Sub-Mariner rampage will always be the thing that brings Cap out of the ice, so it's not a big deal. If they actually made that happen, I would be crazy hyped!

On a separate note, I freely admit that the iceberg scene, which I hated hearing about in the script, was awesome on video and I wish they would release a new cut with it in there. I really liked TiH, but, man, the movie could have used a giant destruction piece scene like that.