2003’s Hulk star Eric Bana has closed the door on playing a Bruce Banner variant in the Multiverse Saga of the MCU.
While appearing on the Australian morning show Fifi, Fev & Nick for Breakfast (via ComicBook.com), the topic of Ang Lee’s Hulk movie adaptation was brought up as the hosts asked Bana if he would be open to reprising the title role in a multiverse-centric storyline similar to Spider-Man: No Way Home. “I can’t see it. I can’t see it,” Bana replied.
The hosts of the show moved on to Bana’s athletic physique which they believe is good enough to get back into Hulk shape, something that Bana playfully pushed back on. “Well … CGI man,” Bana said. “You don’t really need [it]. Lot of steroids there.”
The history of Ang Lee’s Hulk
Ang Lee’s Hulk was the popular Marvel character’s first big screen appearance in the pre-MCU era following the box office successes of 2000’s X-Men and 2002’s Spider-Man. Though the movie was a retelling of Bruce Banner’s origin story, Lee approached Hulk as a Greek tragedy through the character’s conflict with his abusive father David (Nick Nolte). Despite the prestige of Oscar winner Lee and an all-star cast featuring Jennifer Connelly and Sam Elliott, Hulk was met with mixed reviews and grossed $245 million worldwide against a budget of $137 million.
Bana was under contract for Hulk sequels as Marvel pushed for an action-driven continuation featuring The Leader and Abomination as villains. After Universal failed to get the project off the ground by the end of 2004, the Hulk rights were acquired by the newly formed Marvel Studios, where 2008’s The Incredible Hulk was made with new star Edward Norton. In retrospect, Bana had no regrets about his brief time as the Hulk.
“I’m proud of what it tried to do,” Bana said to the Huffington Post in 2013. “I apologize to all those people who were so angry about it . . . I’m fascinated by the people who hated that movie and feel compelled to watch it again, which always blows my mind. But, yeah, it is what it is and I certainly don’t regret doing it.”
