Whilethe Marvel Cinematic Universe has suffered no shortage of challengeslately, one of the earliest issues that the franchise faced was conceiving of compelling villains. AlthoughKevin Feigeand the Marvel creative team made pitch perfect casting decisions withRobert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark,Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, andChris Hemsworth’s Thor, many of the early MCU films featured antagonists that failed to match the charisma of the heroes they were going up against. While the MCU eventually found its footing through the development of interesting villains like Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thanos (Josh Brolin),Feige raised serious objections about castingTim Rothas “The Abomination” inThe Incredible Hulk.
The Incredible Hulk
Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.
‘The Incredible Hulk’ Was Chaotic Behind-The-Scenes
Although it’s not remembered as one of the best MCU projects,it’s impressive thatThe Incredible Hulkturned out as good as it didconsideringhow chaotic the film’s production was. Instead of moving forward with a traditional sequel toAng Lee’s divisive 2003 filmHulk, Universal Studios decided to create a continuation that would essentially serve as a “soft reboot” that recast the character. In addition to disassociating the new film from the toxic reputation that Lee’s film had received, the options allowed the newThe Incredible Hulkfilm to fit within the parameters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the film’s production proved to be challenging due to the creative conflicts betweenEdward Norton,Feige,and directorLouis Letterier.
Among the many creative decisions that caused conflict onThe Incredible Hulkwas the casting of the main villain.According toMCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,Leterrier was determined to cast Roth as the Abomination, as he felt that his strengths as a character actor could create an untraditional antagonist.Roth’s performances inQuentin Tarantinoclassics likeReservoir DogsandPulp Fictionhad proven that he could create dynamic, intimidating characters with a dark sense-of-humor. Casting an actor of Roth’s acclaim alongside a star as notoriously committed as Norton elevatedThe Incredible Hulkfrom being a generic monster movie into a prestigious genre movie.
Feige Wanted a Bigger Name To Play the Abomination
Despite Letterrier’s enthusiasm about getting Roth for the role,Feige initially objected to the casting because he felt that the film needed a more famous actor. Marvel’s other 2008 film,Iron Man, may havetaken a risk on casting Downey Jr. as the titular character, but featured the well-knownJeff Bridgesas its main antagonist. Roth simply wasn’t a major star, as he had primarily worked within independent films on the arthouse scene. Feige and Norton reportedly considered casting the late greatRay Stevensonin the role before he signed on to playFrank Castle in 2008’sPunisher: War Zone. Stevenson’s immense physicality and intimidating presence certainly seemed like a more natural fit for the Abomination compared to Roth.
Although he was concerned that Roth would not be able to draw in a crowd,Feige ultimately thanked Letterier for convincing him to make a non-traditional casting choice. Letterier had posited that allowing Roth to bring darker sensibilities to the character would helpThe Incredible Hulkavoidthe campiness that had plagued Lee’sHulkfilm. Having an intimidating villain was essential, asThe Incredible Hulkavoided the origin story by featuring a version of Bruce Banner that was already aware of his abilities as the Hulk. While depicting Banner as already adjusted to his powers could have made him less relatable, the presence of a relentless villain like the Abomination made it feel like he was constantly in danger.
The decision ended up being beneficial to the film, asRoth was integral in developing a unique version of the character. While Emil Blonsky had been a KGB agent in the original comics,Roth suggested thatThe Incredible Hulk’s version be a soldier. Beyond modernizing an element of the character that no longer felt relevant in the post-Cold War era, the decision to make Blonsky a marine gave him a closer connection withWilliam Hurt’s Colonel Thaddeus Ross. It also helped the film define the ethical differences between Blonsky and Banner; while Banner fears that the super serum could be utilized for malevolent purposes if it fell into the hands of the military, Blonsky wants to inject himself to gain more power.
The Abomination Returned to the MCU After ‘The Incredible Hulk’
Whileplans for a sequel toThe Incredible Hulkwere shuttereddue to the film’s underperformance and the creative differences with Norton, Roth’s performance as Blonsky ironically became the aspect that the film is best remembered for.Blonsky returned to the MCUfor a brief cameo inShang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings, where it was established that he was taking part in an underground fighting ring in Macau. In the time sinceThe Incredible Hulk,Blonsky’s powers had evolved to include mutated skin, webbed ears, and gills. Although Blonsky decides to return to the fighting ring after an encounter with Wong (Benedict Wong), it wouldn’t be the last time that Roth appeared in the MCU.
Roth showed a comedic side to Blonsky with his appearances inShe-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which revealed that he now seeks redemption for his crime as the Abomination.Blonsky operates a support group for supervillains, and seeks the assistance of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) after he is accused of breaking parole. AlthoughRoth admitted that he had not expected to reprise the role, he expressed his thanks to Feige for giving him the opportunity to flex his comedic muscles. Blonsky’s transformation from an obsessive military commando into a relaxed inspirational speaker certainly makes for one of the oddest MCU character arcs.
The MCU has succeeded by making strange casting choices, and the franchise’s popularity gives it the opportunity to take risks on underrated actors like Roth. While Roth has retained his focus on independent cinema through his appearances incharacter-based dramas likeSundown, the flexibility of the MCU has allowed him to reprise his role as Blonsky and add new dimensions to the character. WhileThe Incredible Hulkhas been largely forgottenwithin the context of the MCU, Roth’s strong performance remains one of the film’s best elements.
The Incredible Hulkis streaming on Disney+.
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