Taking the Hulk to the audiovisual field is not as easy as it seems. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created this character, they wanted to combine the fragility and the mind of Doctor Banner with the muscular and irrational monster of his alter ego. When it comes to bringing that concept to the big screen (or to a simple television series), making the casting perfect is key to making the Hulk work. Today we will review all the actors who have played the Hulk from its origins to the present day.
Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno
La Hulk's first audiovisual appearance It was in 1977 in a television series called The Incredible Hulk. Unlike now, when the same actor is usually used to interpret the two characters, at this time it was decided to use two different actors. On the one hand, we had Bill Bixby, who played Doctor David Bruce Banner (he was called Dr. David Banner at this time) and on the other hand, Lou Ferrigno took control when Banner transformed into the Hulk.
Bixby had gained great popularity and fame due to various performances he had previously given in other television series. On the other hand, Ferrigno was a bodybuilder who had several trophies behind him, as well as a victory in Mr. America and Mr. Universe. He was nearly seven feet tall, and once cast as the Hulk, he was able to effortlessly convey the character's animalistic and monstrous instincts.
The Bixby and Ferrigno duo spanned over more than a decade. The two worked together on several made-for-TV movies that grew out of the series, as well as new episodes of it. Unfortunately, Bixby became seriously ill in the early 90s when he was set to reprise the role of Banner on the television series. The actor also had to stop the deal he had made with ABC for the production of the fifth Hulk movie —which we suspect had something to do with the one we would end up seeing in 2003. Bill Bixby was forced to leave the world of acting in 1992, and would die a year later from his illness.
Eric Bana
In 2003, Hulk, directed by Ang Lee, came to the big screen. The movie had very mixed reviews, and although they had little to do with Bana's performance, since what was weak in this installment was probably a script issue. The film did good numbers at the box office, and while Bana's Hulk would ultimately be eclipsed by Norton's just five years later, both films grossed roughly the same.
This version of the Hulk stood out for being the first time that it would be done use of CGI technique for the interpretation of the green mutant. Quite a few special effects were used, although critics rallied at the lack of action of the film, that too much introspection was done on Banner and his transformation was left out a bit.
Despite the criticism of the film's script, what is most surprising is that work began as early as 1990, which shows that the role was not poorly worked on, but that the dramatic vision with which the character was approached did not finish convincing the entire public.
Edward Norton
Norton was commissioned to play Bruce Banner in The incredible Hulk, released in 2008. Marvel, now Marvel Studios, had taken over the rights to the green character again. The criticism this time was good with Norton. The movie was entertaining Edward did a great job, very up to his quality as an actor and the film was raised correctly. It was a reboot, in such a way that a clean slate was made, leaving the plot developed in the 2003 film completely in no man's land.
The intention of Marvel Studios was keep Edward Norton as Hulk for subsequent films The Avengers. However, after the film's release, several producers complained about Norton's attitude. The actor apparently got too involved in the character, encroaching on the territory of producers and screenwriters. He even insisted on rewriting the script himself. The friction reached such a point that Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, would end up announcing that the project would continue, but without Norton.
The decision was controversial, since Feige in his statement wanted to downplay the matter by stating that they needed an actor who collaborated more with the team and other cast members. Norton, for his part, said that his vision of hulk (of which I was a big fan since I was little) it was dark, very similar to what Nolan had done with Batman. In the actor's words, his disputes, along with the salary that he requested to reincarnate La Masa they were more than enough for Marvel to shelve it. Despite this, Feige has always said that they did not dispense with Norton for a mere economic decision. What is clear is that they did not feel comfortable working with him.
Mark Ruffalo
Norton's replacement would be taken by Mark Ruffalo, and nobody would imagine that he would adapt so well to the character. His first performance was in The Avengers, in 2012. Currently, Ruffalo has played the Hulk a total of 5 times, despite the fact that he still has not had a film In solitary. The closest thing to this that we could see was in Thor: Ragnarok, where his role is vital and the character shines for the first time since 2008.
For many, Mark Ruffalo is the perfect actor for this character, as he manages to convey both the brilliance of Bruce Banner and the clumsiness of the Hulk. His interpretation of the green mutant also coincides with the brightest period of his professional career, as it overlaps with two Oscar nominations, three Emmy nominations (of which he would end up taking two awards) and three BAFTA nominations.