At this point, we need to come to terms with the fact that we might never see another solo Hulk movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s already a lot on the docket and not everyone will be able to get their own adventures. But Marvel has compromised a bit. According to Joss Whedon, Hulk plays a major role in Avengers 2, way more so than in the first installment.
An exhausted Whedon recently spoke with SFX magazine (as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter) and teased what we can expect from Bruce Banner’s maniac alter-ego.
There is more Hulk in this movie than there was in the last … We went in with this mission statement, to shoot the Hulk like a character in a movie, and not like a ‘Look what we’ve got!’ We have ‘overs’ – blurry ‘Hulk’s over there!’ bits. Very quick shots. Everything isn’t ‘We built the Hulk, so for god’s sake, you’re going to watch him in this long take, full frame, the whole time!’ We really got to make him one of the characters in the movie. And that was a gift.
Marvel, Whedon and the actors have tried to keep as much as they can under wraps, but these comments support what we’ve seen already from Avengers 2. In the trailers, Banner (Mark Ruffalo) seems far more tortured than when last we saw him. In the first film, he claimed to have his demons under control (for the most part). Although he keeps the beast at bay by always being angry, we see how easily Hulk awakens in light of a massive explosion.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, though, there’s a new and far more dangerous threat: Scarlet Witch. Elizabeth Olsen will debut in the sequel as the magic-wielding Wanda Maximoff, and with her comes mind manipulation. It’s presumed this is what causes Banner to Hulk out on his fellow Avengers, ultimately leading to the epic showdown between him and Tony Stark in full Hulkbuster gear. We saw her in the most recent footage planting illusions inside Black Widow’s mind, and we can only imagine what she’ll force Hulk to see.
Furthermore, a rumor has been circulating for a while — POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT — that the Avengers are going to forcibly blast Banner off into space at the end of the movie and Hulk along with him. With no guarantees that Banner can keep himself in check, word is that this is a last resort to finally rid the world of this destructive force. However, this is merely a rumor, and we’ll find out the truth when The Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters on May 1.
