Lou Ferrigno, star of the classic The Incredible Hulk TV series, had some specific pointers for Marvel Studios’ take on the iconic comic character.
"Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry." And indeed, most would not. Pretty much every Marvel fan knows the score by now, when mild-mannered Dr. Bruce Banner loses control, he transforms into the towering, green-skinned, musclebound Hulk.
But the Green Goliath has undergone some sizable changes during his recent tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and not everyone has welcomed it.
Lou Ferrigno Wants Hulk To Unleash His Rage
Actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, who portrayed everyone’s favorite gamma-fueled hero in the 1978-82 television series The Incredible Hulk and its subsequent TV movies, offered some advice for Marvel Studios about where they should take the character next.
Speaking to Who Let Us Out, Ferrigno expressed a want to see Hulk better resemble "the original" (likely referring to his televisual interpretation):
"I would say change the concept and make it more like the original Hulk, authentic, organic, mean, green."
For those who have not been keeping up with the MCU’s recent trajectory, following his loss at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, in which the Mad Titan made easy work of the Hulk, Bruce Banner retreated to his state of the art gamma lab in sunny Mexico.
It was there that Bruce finally succeeded in ridding himself of his little Hulk problem, by merging his body and personality with the Jade Giant. The result was a Smart Hulk who has Bruce’s intelligence and temperament alongside Hulk’s strength and confidence.
However, a large portion of MCU fans have been dissatisfied with Smart Hulk and long for the character to return to his days as, to quote Tony Stark, "an enormous, green rage monster." And it seems Lou Ferrigno shares the exact same sentiment.
What Would It Take To Make Hulk Lose His Temper?
Bruce Banner and the Hulk have had an extended arc throughout the entire MCU. He began as a man on the run, but then, after a strong showing at the Battle of New York, Hulk became an Avenger.
He fought with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for a spell but eventually wound up on the junk planet Sakaar, where he became a gladiatorial champion and fathered a child (more on him later).
His most recent MCU appearance came in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series on Disney+, where he attempted to coach Jen Walters in the ways of her newer, greener persona.
It’s expected that Mark Ruffalo will return as Banner in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, but would he show up as Smart Hulk again or could he revert to his more rageful form?
It is difficult to say. Bruce, as Smart Hulk, seems pretty resistant to anger. He was visibly shaken after Natasha Romanoff’s death, but his only reaction to that was seemingly to pick up a bench in frustration and hurl it across a lake.
Potentially, Marvel Studios might stick to its guns on the Hulk and keep him in his more intelligent, well-spoken form. But much of the fanbase has been very vocal about wanting to witness Bruce lose his cool again.
Perhaps something could happen to his young son Skaar that would provoke some fury in him. Or maybe discovering that Dr. Doom shares a face with his old pal Tony will cause the Savage Hulk to make a comeback.
It might even be that crossing paths with Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk would be what causes the other shoe to drop concerning Hulk’s rage.
Whatever the case winds up being, it is hoped that the Incredible Hulk still has an important role in either of the next two Avengers movies. It is also crucial to note that Mark Ruffalo has not been confirmed to reprise the role as of yet.
Reportedly, Ruffalo’s Bruce will not be in February’s Captain America: Brave New World either, despite that film’s heavily gamma-influenced storyline.
All of the Hulk’s MCU adventures can be seen on Disney+.
