The Incredible Hulk has appeared in three Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to date and in all that time his longest line remains "Puny god," from "The Avengers." Yes, it was a killer one-liner and yes, we've seen Bruce Banner talk quite a bit in the MCU. But Hulk fans are clamoring for the big green rage monster himself to get a little bit of a dialogue as well. With his next scheduled appearance to come in "Thor: Ragnarok," audiences have been wondering if that development will finally arrive.
Who better to comment on such matter than "Thor: Ragnarok" director Taika Waititi.
"It's interesting, because at the moment, there's a big conversation that's happening about how far to push that," Waititi told HitFix. "Whether or not The Hulk should be [verbal/conscious]...I think a lot of those conversations have more to do with what's going to come up in future movies. So I think a lot of those decisions are larger group decisions, rather than anything to do with just me or the writer. They have a lot of stuff that they have to consider. But I do think that's the best way to track it. I think we all want that. I think we all want to see that development and the evolution of that character. I also think you can do it in a fun way."
Unsurprisingly, Waititi sounds like he's saying that the decision is above his pay grade. Marvel has long been criticized for not allowing their directors the same level of creative freedom of other franchises due to the interconnectedness of all their films. One change in "Thor: Ragnarok" would have a ripple effect on all subsequent MCU movies that The Hulk appears in.
But that doesn't mean it isn't going to happen.
Mark Ruffalo has previously teased the blending of the Hulk and Bruce Banner psyches. If such a meld were to take place, it's conceivable that it would grant the Hulk more vocal abilities. "Thor: Ragnarok" will close out the MCU's Asgardian trilogy, so now is as good a time as ever.
"Thor: Ragnarok" will arrive on Nov. 3, 2017.
