The film's back-story is detailed during flashbacks, which are mostly in the opening credits, and further exposition. General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) hired scientist and radiation expert Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) to revive a World War II era military bio-force enhancement research project (to create "supersoldiers"; later scenes imply Banner was kept in the dark about this application of his work). Banner exposed himself to gamma radiation, which results in him becoming a giant, green-skinned monster called the Hulk, and hospitalizing Ross' daughter Betty (Liv Tyler), who was Banner's colleague and lover. Now a fugitive from the United States Army, Banner went on the run for five years.
When the film begins, Banner works at a bottling factory in Rio de Janeiro and while finding a cure for his condition with the help of an Internet friend, "Mr. Blue". He is also taught martial arts and meditative breathing techniques by an expert (Rickson Gracie) to help control his emotions, and has not transformed for 158 days. After Banner suffers a cut, his blood drips into a soda bottle eventually drank by an ill-fated consumer (Stan Lee) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This accident points Ross to Banner's location and he sends a team, led by the Russian-born British special operations expert Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), to capture him. Banner escapes Blonsky by transforming into the Hulk and battling his team in the factory. After Ross explains to Blonsky how Banner first became the Hulk, an astonished and vengeful Blonsky declares he wants Banner's power. Ross arranges for Blonsky to be injected with the Vita-ray serum, which has been kept in cold storage, giving him enhanced physical abilities.
Banner returns to Culver University in the United States, where the Hulk was born. He reunites with Betty, who is dating psychiatrist Leonard Samson (Ty Burrell). On the day he decides to leave, Ross and Blonsky's forces attack Banner at Culver University, forcing him to transform. Blonsky proves to be athletic and agile enough to compete with the Hulk thanks to the serum, and Ross attempts to contain the Hulk with two sonic cannons. This ploy fails, when the Hulk shields himself with two sheets of metal. Additionally, every bone in Blonsky's body is broken when he is kicked by the Hulk. The Hulk flees with Betty, who became unconscious after a helicopter he struck crashed nearby. After he calms down and becomes human again, Banner and Betty travel to New York City to meet "Mr. Blue". The two maintain a low profile as the Hulk's existence becomes public knowledge and a matter of national security following the university battle.
Banner and Betty meet "Mr. Blue", who is Dr. Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), at a university. Accompanying him to his lab, Banner and Betty learn that Sterns has developed a possible antidote that may cure Banner's condition, or merely reverse each individual transformation. Despite the risk, Banner agrees to test Sterns' antidote, which requires triggering a transformation and reversing it. Successful, Sterns reveals that he has synthesized Banner's blood sample into a large supply with the intention of using it to enhance the human condition to the next evolutionary level. Appalled by what Sterns had done and fearful of the Hulk's power falling into the wrong hands, Banner attempts to convince Sterns to destroy the blood supply, but he is attacked by Ross' forces and taken into custody.
A recovered Blonsky forces Sterns to inject him with the Hulk's blood. Sterns warns that the combination of the supersoldier formula (which Blonsky has overdosed on, mutating his skeleton) and a gamma treatment would be an unpredictable combination that could turn him into an "abomination". Unconcerned, Blonsky makes Sterns administer the gamma charge, and he mutates into a powerful monster. He knocks Sterns aside and escapes, rampaging through Harlem to draw the Hulk out. At the lab, an irradiated sample of Banner's blood-derivative drips into an open wound on Sterns' temple, causing his cranium to mutate and expand.
Banner, realizing that he is the only one who can stop the monster, convinces General Ross to release him. He jumps from Ross' helicopter as it hovers over the city, hoping the fall will trigger a transformation. Banner's plan succeeds, and after a brutal battle, the Hulk defeats Blonsky by nearly strangling him to death with a huge chain, relenting his grip only after Betty's plea. The Hulk then flees the scene with the army in pursuit.
Thirty-one days later, Banner is in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Instead of trying to suppress his transformations, he is attempting to initiate them in a controlled manner. As his eyes turn green, a grin appears on his face. Meanwhile, General Ross is drinking in a bar when he is approached by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) who reveals that a "team" is being put together.
Cast
| "There's a thing in Hulk of the Prometheus myth: it's tapping the story of stealing fire from the gods and being burned by it [...] When you think about Banner's driving motivation, part of what was interesting to me was a sense of guilt, a sense of having monkeyed with nature. He's applied a certain arrogance to his work and assumed he can master forces that maybe aren't meant to be tinkered with casually, and he's driven by [...] wanting to put the genie back into the bottle. [...] There's a certain blowback to messing with nature." —Norton on the subtext of the Hulk[2] |
Edward Norton as Bruce Banner / Hulk: A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into the Hulk when stressed, enraged, or excited. Eric Bana turned down reprising the role, as he viewed the first film as a one-time opportunity.[3] David Duchovny was a front-runner for the film before Norton's casting.[4] Gale Anne Hurd recalled Norton's portrayals of duality in Primal Fear and Fight Club,[5] while Norton reminded Kevin Feige of Bill Bixby, who played Banner in the TV series.[6] Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk with Bixby, remarked Norton "has a similar physique [and a] similar personality".[7]
Norton was a Hulk fan, citing the first comic appearances, the Bixby TV show and Bruce Jones' run on the comic as his favorite depictions of the character.[8] He had expressed interest in the role for the first film.[9] He initially turned down the part for this film, recalling "there [was] the wince factor or the defensive part of you that recoils at what the bad version of what that would be," as he felt the previous film "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, [...] which is a fugitive story". When he met Letterier and Marvel, however, he liked their vision, and believed they were looking to him to guide the project. Thus, Norton rewrote the script.[2] "Norton's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas," Letterier said. "Admittedly I'm not the most adult director, but just because we're making a superhero movie it doesn't have to just appeal to 13-year old boys. Ed and I both see superheroes as the new Greek gods."[10]
Lou Ferrigno voices the Hulk: During the 2008 New York Comic Con director Louis Leterrier offered Ferrigno the chance to voice the Hulk for the film.[11] This marks the third time Ferrigno portrays the Hulk, having also voiced the character in the 1996 animated series. Originally, the Hulk's only line was "Betty" at the film's climax, which would have been his first word. Leterrier was aware that fans wanted him to speak normally, and added "Leave me alone" and "Hulk smash!" The latter line received cheers during a screening he attended.[12] Ferrigno also has a cameo in the film as a security guard who is bribed by Banner with a pizza.[13]
Liv Tyler as Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Ross: Bruce's girlfriend, whom he is separated from due to his condition, and a cellular biologist. Tyler replaced actress Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Betty Ross in the 2003 film Hulk. Tyler was attracted to the love story in the script, and was a fan of the TV show, because of the "humanity and what [Banner] is going through".[8] Tyler and Norton spent hours discussing Bruce and Betty's life before he became the Hulk.[14] She said filming the part "was very physical, which was fun",[15] and compared her performance to "a deer caught in the headlights", because of Betty's shock as Bruce's unexpected return into her life.[14]
Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky: A Russian-born officer from the United Kingdom Special Forces loaned to General Ross. Recognizing he is past his prime, he lusts after the Hulk's power. The character is known as the "Abomination" in the comics, but Zak Penn considered this name too silly, and he is only referred to as Blonsky on screen.[16] Roth said he took the part to please his sons, who are comic-book superhero fans. As a teenager, Roth was a fan of the 1970s TV series, and he also found Leterrier's ideas "very dark and very interesting." Roth started watching the 2003 film to prepare for the part, but stopped as he did not want to be caught up in the controversy over its quality, and to compare himself to it.[17]
Leterrier is a fan of Roth's work, and felt "it's great watching a normal Cockney boy become a superhero!",[10] but Marvel and Norton were initially reluctant to cast him.[18] Before he was cast in Punisher: War Zone, Ray Stevenson was in discussions for the role.[19] He prepared for the part by learning to fire guns and break into rooms with two experts.[20] Roth found it tough shooting the chases, because he could not work out to show Blonsky's aging.[14] Cyril Raffaelli performed some of Roth's stunts.[5] Roth enjoyed the motion capture, which reminded him of fringe theatre, and he hired his trainer from Planet of the Apes to aid him in portraying the monster's movement.[14]
William Hurt as General Ross: Betty's father, who has dedicated himself to capturing the Hulk. Letterier cast Hurt because "Ross is more physical, more explosive in this movie, and no actor goes from zero to 100 as well as William."[10] He compared Ross to Captain Ahab.[18] The Hulk is Hurt's favorite superhero, and his son is also a big fan of the character. Hurt found production very different from the typical "pure anxiety" of a studio movie, finding it more akin to an independent movie.[21] He described Ross as "humiliated by Hulk's conscience: he actually sees and recognizes that it's more developed than his own, even though he's a patriot and a warrior for his country. He's sacrificed [much] for that purpose, but at the expense at times of his humanity — which he occasionally recovers."[22] Sam Elliott, who played Ross in the first film, would have liked to reprise the role, noting it was odd seeing someone take his part, "but I'll be looking forward to seeing this one".[23]
Additional cast members include Tim Blake Nelson as the scientist Samuel Sterns,[24] and Ty Burrell as psychiatrist Leonard Samson.[18]
Robert Downey, Jr. cameos as Tony Stark at the end of the film, reprising his role from Iron Man. He did it as a favor to Marvel Studios, which he acknowledged as a smart move, because when he was promoting his film he would also have to mention their other production.[25] Hulk co-creator Stan Lee makes an appearance in a scene which Kevin Feige claimed "the whole plot of the movie hinges on".[13] Michael K. Williams appears in the film, in a role that was written for him by Norton, who is a fan of The Wire.[26] Paul Soles, who voiced Banner in the 1966 The Marvel Superheroes cartoon, cameos as Stanley, a kindly pizza restaurant owner who helps Banner. Additionally, the late Bill Bixby appears, when a scene featuring Bixby on his TV comedy-drama The Courtship of Eddie's Father plays on a television Banner is watching at the beginning of the film. Rickson Gracie has a small role as Bruce Banner's martial arts instructor, despite his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, he is credited as an Aikido instructor.
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