Director Julius Onah has defended the Hulk's absence from Captain America: Brave New World.
The latest Marvel instalment saw Anthony Mackie making his cinematic debut as the new Captain America. But while the movie saw the return of various Incredible Hulk characters, the titular superhero, played by Mark Ruffalo, was noticeably missing from the action.
In an interview with The Playlist, director Onah addressed why Bruce Banner didn't make an appearance alongside Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) and Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).
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He explained that a cameo from the Hulk would shift attention from Sam Wilson during his first big-screen crusade as the lead superhero.
"Well, I think at the end of the day, and I'm happy it landed where it did—this is Sam's story. This is Sam's first cinematic adventure as Captain America. And you want it to be about Sam leaning into his superpower to overcome the odds," Onah said.
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"So, you pull in Banner—as great as Mark Ruffalo is and as exciting as it would be to have him—and suddenly, the focus shifts away from Sam. The conversation obviously came up, but ultimately, it felt like this wanted to be Sam’s film."
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Meanwhile, one iconic character that did make a return was Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan). After starring alongside Mackie in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Stan's appearance was a welcome surprise for fans.
"Bucky had always been a part of the story, and it's something we obviously denied publicly and wanted to stay quiet about so that it could be a surprise for all this. But there was no way we were gonna completely divorce these two characters from each other after Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Onah shared.
"It was just about trying to find the right way to do it. And we'd experimented with points of him coming in the beginning, in the end, et cetera. And we kind of organically landed at a place that really felt right because there were very few people who could speak to Sam and understand the totality of where he's coming from emotionally and what it means for him to be where he is right now."
Captain America: Brave New World is out now in cinemas.
Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
