According to a 2006 report from Variety, producer Avi Arad revealed that Marvel Studios bought the rights to the “Hulk” movies from Universal because that studio missed a production deadline for the 2003 feature film’s follow-up. plan at the time was to make the “Hulk” sequel a direct-to-video project that would forgo any need for theatrical distribution.
However, it was later reported by Ain’t It Cool News that the straight-to-video option was no longer being pursued as Avi Arad had confirmed that the follow-up movie headed to theaters would be produced by Marvel Studios this time and Universal would continue to take care of distribution.
When it came time to make the next chapter in the Hulk’s legacy, 2008 film “The Incredible Hulk”, the decision was made to steer clear of Ang Lee’s vision seen in the film. 2003 and take things in a different direction for the character. with a distinct tone and design for the character. Edward Norton replaced Eric Bana as the titular character, with Louis Lettier chosen to sit in the director’s chair. On an estimated budget of $150 million, the film grossed $264 million, the lowest of any MCU entry.
Although Norton didn’t reprise the role, Hulk continued to be an impactful presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Mark Ruffalo taking the role in the “Avengers” and “Thor: Ragnarok” movies. But since the start of the MCU, nearly every major character has had their own solo affair, except for the Jade Giant. And the reasoning behind why fans didn’t get to see the Big Green Machine in its own movie may have readers reaching Hulk levels of anger.