About a week or so again, I wrote an article asking "Where is the box-office love for 'The Incredible Hulk'?" I wrote how several Marvel Studios movies are in the works, some of which are sequels to movies that came out recently ("Thor" and "Captain America"), but no news for a "Hulk" sequel was mentioned despite the ABC live-action series that Guillermo del Toro is developing. Some people, myself included, are scratching our heads and wondering why, since Marvel is gung-ho on making new film sequels on their recent blockbusters and first-time debuts for the likes of "Ant-Man". Heck, even the continuity of "The Incredible Hulk" was barely acknowledged in recent Marvel Studios films, with a clip of said 2008 film featured in "Iron Man 2" when Nick Fury shows Tony Stark his file near the finale, and then a brief mention in "Thor", when Bruce Banner's old friend Dr. Erik Selvig mentions he "knew this scientist... a pioneer in gamma radiation." But that's it. REALLY? You can't even mention Banner by name?
But maybe Marvel has more of a plan for the Hulk than we think. And the continuity of "The Incredible Hulk" maybe getting more love than I originally believed.
At the end of "The Incredible Hulk", you see Bruce Banner is hiding out in Bella Coola, British Columbia in a cabin. Bruce is seen meditating. The countdown clock on-screen reads "Days Without Incident: 31", and then, Bruce opens his eyes and his pupils glow green. As the clock turns to "0", Bruce SMILES. Fade to black. Then we cue to the bar scene where Tony Stark talks with General Ross about how the Super-Soldier Program was put on ice for a reason and teases "What if I told you we were putting a team together?"
Okay, we know Tony MAY be talking about the Avengers, but why is Bruce, who spent all of that 2008 movie in hiding, trying to find a cure for his green-skinned, nine foot tall alter-ego, SMILING about his recent change? Is he getting control over the Hulk? Or something yet to be revealed?
The British Columbia scene in particular is the main reason for this editorial's existence. If you've seen "The Avengers" teaser after the end credits of "Captain America: The First Avenger" (which, like "Thor", I loved -- see "Cap" now!), you'll see a blink-and-you-miss-it scene of Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner removing his glasses (with green eyes), and then immediately after, you see a brief scene of several soldiers (S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, perhaps?) surrounding a cabin. In the window of the home, there's a flash of white that turns from white or yellow to green. GREEN. Why would a flash of light inside turn green?
My theory: this is how we're introduced to The Incredible Hulk in "The Avengers". The cabin/home we see is eerily similar looking to same one that Banner is in back in British Columbia. And while I don't have a screencap yet to put up of the cabin, if you've seen the teaser trailer, this would seem to make the most sense. Think about it. I believe it was Mark Ruffalo (or maybe someone else like Joss Whedon or Kevin Feige? I don't remember.) who teased that the Hulk gets a memorable entrance in "The Avengers" film. What could be more memorable than Banner being by found out by agents that have his place surrounded, changing into the Hulk and smashing everything, and everyone, in his path?
This would leave one question unanswered, though: why is haunted scientist Bruce Banner smiling when he's changing at the end of the 2008 film? Did he get control of the Hulk? Did Loki find him and gain control over a meditating Banner? What could have happened? Unfortunately, we won't know for sure until 2012, and trust me, "The Avengers" can't come fast enough for all of us die-hard fans who thought this film that just a few short years ago would have never come to the silver screen.
What do you guys think?