When The Incredible Hulk dropped in 2008, it was seen as a restart for the Hulk franchise after the polarizing effect of Ang Lee's 2003 film. The film effectively became one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But after its lukewarm reception, Marvel Studios didn't continue with the franchise, even after Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton as the green rage machine. Some may remember that the movvie also introduced audiences to Tim Roth's menacing Emil Blonsky (a.k.a. Abomination). Roth disappeared from the Marvel fabric until Abomination showed up in last year's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and, this year, he'll be brought back for Disney+’s She-Hulk. Now, that’s he’s back in the fold, the Rob Roy star has revealed what it was like returning to the MCU after a decade away.
The Reservoir Dogs star's character served as a great adversary to Bruce Banner and, for years, many fans have since wondered about his fate and whether he could come back. Tim Roth recently confirmed that his return was set in motion after he got a call from Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. Roth specifically told Uproxx:
Well, honestly, it totally surprised me. I went in to chat with Kevin Feige and he said, ‘I’ve got an idea. Come in.’ Really? Really? Because the original thing that I did, when I did that first Incredible Hulk movie, was I just did it for my kids.
Sometimes, actors will take on roles to appease their offspring or to simply make something that’s age-appropriate. (Trolls' Jamie Dornan went after his role hard.) The Abomination isn’t exactly kid-friendly but, at the time, the Planet of the Apes star's children surely loved the thrill of the superhero film. But this time around, it seems it was the involvement of a certain star that attracted him to She-Hulk:
So. it was just for my kids when they were little. Did that. So, I was amazed when they came back around and said, “How would you feel about…” And I went, ‘Yeah. All right!’ And we just shot it, I guess in the summer last year or whatever. I think that they’re in post now doing it, so whenever. Bonus, I got to work with Mark Ruffalo. Awesome. Who I love. And I don’t know if I’m allowed to say. Oh, I can say that. But this extraordinary woman, Tatiana… Incredible, that woman. So that was a blast. It was insane.
You can't help but love the fact that he's gushing over working with Mark Ruffalo and Tatiana Maslany. And the Disney+ series has a stacked cast, as it will see Tim Roth, Maslany and Ruffalo star alongside Ginger Gonzaga, Jameela Jamil, and Renee Elise Goldsberry. Roth’s enthusiasm about She-Hulk bodes well for the upcoming show, which is expected to premiere sometime in 2022. One would think that Emil Blonsky will cause some trouble for Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters, which should make things fun for us as viewers.
If you want to learn more about She-Hulk and other Marvel television shows premiere, just check out our list of upcoming MCU shows.
