History Trivia / TheIncredibleHulk

* TropeNamer:
** HulkSpeak
** HulkingOut
** (Formerly) InterruptedCooldownHug, which used to be called HulksCooldownHugCorollary.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: According to [[https://www.cbr.com/hulk-joe-fixit-marlo-chandler-origin/ this source]], Peter David originally intended for the Hulk's temporary girlfriend Marlo Chandler to be a prostitute like her roommate who helps set her up with the Hulk. This was during the time he had adopted the persona of Joe Fixit and was working as a mob enforcer in Las Vegas. However he was told he couldn't do that and so changed Marlo into an aerobics instructor and her roommate a nurse, though when reading the comic it is clear that there is little explanation why a nurse would be associated with a mob boss and said mob boss would think an aerobics instructor would be the best choice to spend time with Fixit.

!!Tropes for the TV Series
* ExecutiveMeddling: After a dark first season for the 90's AnimatedAdaptation, UPN fired the producers and ordered a light-hearted action cartoon that appealed more to female viewers. The end result ruined the resulting second season for many, though some say the season is filled with NarmCharm.

** YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: A Japanese {{tokusatsu}} incarnation of Hulk in the vein of ''Series/SpiderManJapan'' was considered by Creator/ToeiCompany to follow ''Series/BattleFeverJ''in 1980 but was dropped in favor of continuing the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise with ''Series/DenshiSentaiDenziman''.

* FanNickname: "Rulk" for the "'''R'''ed H'''ulk'''." It eventually became AscendedFanon.
* ImageSource:
** DumbMuscle (fanart)
** StrongAndSkilled
** UnstoppableRage

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: A Japanese {{tokusatsu}} incarnation of Hulk in the vein of ''Series/SpiderManJapan'' was considered by Creator/ToeiCompany to follow ''Series/BattleFeverJ''in 1980 but was dropped in favor of continuing the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise with ''Series/DenshiSentaiDenziman''.

* UnfinishedEpisode: Creator/PeterDavid's final issue is a DistantFinale with a Daily ''Bugle'' reporter talking to Hulk's sidekick Rick Jones about [[NoodleIncident various stories]] that had happened. These plots would have been written had David not quit the series over [[ExecutiveMeddling creative differences with executives]].

!!2008 film
* ActorInspiredElement: It was Creator/TimRoth who suggested Blonsky be a soldier, whereas in the comics he was a KGB agent.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/LivTyler accepted her role without reading the script.
* BoxOfficeBomb: Production costs: $150 million (not counting marketing). Worldwide gross: $263 million. This movie bears the distinction as being the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first and only flop, and even still, the film managed to break even with post-theatrical revenues since it came out right before advertising budgets on movies of this kind exploded. Even still, an underwhelming box office total likely contributed (along with the distribution rights issue with Universal) to the decision to not make another ''Hulk'' movie, even after the Marvel Cinematic Universe really took off with ''Film/TheAvengers2012''.
* CaliforniaDoubling: Although the final scenes are set in Manhattan (Harlem to be exact), they were shot in Toronto, with the initial showdown between the Hulk and the Abomination being filmed on Yonge Street. Several Toronto icons are visible, most notably the "spinning disc" sign for Sam the Record Man, and the marquee of the Zanzibar Tavern.
* CastTheExpert: The master that teaches Bruce meditation techniques (and presumably some of the moves he uses on the thugs from the factory) is played by Rickson Gracie, a legendary UsefulNotes/BrazilianJiuJitsu practitioner who also became a yoga adept under pioneer Orlando Cani. Amusingly, he is credited instead as an instructor of UsefulNotes/{{Aikido}}, a martial art Gracie doesn't practice and which has somewhat of a backlash against in the BJJ community.
* CelebrityVoiceActor: The Edward Norton Hulk was dubbed by Hiro Mizushima, whom tokusatsu fans would know him as [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Soji Tendou]].
* ContractualObligationProject: Creator/RobertDowneyJr made a cameo as a favor to Marvel Studios, which he acknowledged as a smart move on Marvel's part, because when he was promoting his film he would also have to mention their other production.
* CreatorBacklash: Creator/EdwardNorton had this to say about the film:
-->I did a big action movie called ''The Incredible Hulk''. You know what went wrong? It needed a better script... I thought maybe we should try to make one Marvel movie that was at least as good as the worst [[Creator/ChristopherNolan Chris Nolan]] movie, but what the hell was I thinking?!
* DawsonCasting: General Ross asks Emil Blonsky's age. Ross guesses the age of 45. Blonsky states he is 39. Creator/TimRoth was actually 46 at the time of the movie's release. Justified, as Blonsky is supposed to look older than he is due to the excessive (even for a member of special forces) wear and tear he has put his body through.
* DeletedScene:
** In an alternate opening, a depressed Bruce Banner arrives at the Arctic to shoot himself, but transforms into Hulk before he can do so. Animatics show a version where Bruce actually turns the gun on himself and fires, then we see Hulk's [=POV=] as he spits out the bullet. This scene is canon, as a version of this scene is referenced in ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. Within this same scene, Captain America can be seen in a slab of ice during the avalanche.
** Extended footage of Banner in Brazil exercising, meditating, working at the soda factory and building a centrifuge out of stuff scavenged off the streets of the favela.
** General Thaddeus Ross discovers that Banner is attempting to cure himself. Ross and Blonsky inform General Joe Greller of Banner's condition.
** An extended version of Ross informing Emil Blonsky of the Super Soldier Serum, mentioning that it can lead to mental instability.
** Banner delivers pizza on the Culver University campus. A group of sorority girls refuse to pay him, and he tries to intimidate them by telling them they won't like him when he's angry. They merely call him a pervert.
** An extended scene between Banner and Betty Ross after she reunites with him and brings him to her home, where they discuss General Ross and Samuel Sterns.
** A dinner scene between Betty, Leonard Samson, and Banner.
** Banner and Samson discuss Betty. Samson probes Banner about his mysterious anger problem.
** An extended scene between Banner and Betty before the military attacks.
** After finding Bruce and Betty in New York City, General Ross tells Kathleen Sparr to interrogate Sterns, after which there is an extended version of Betty talking to Ross.
** Samson calls Betty and gives an emotional apology for ratting Banner out to the military. She forgives him but states that she does not want to come home yet.
* DirectedByCastMember: In addition to doing rewrites, Creator/EdwardNorton actually directed himself in some of his own scenes too, such as the campus scenes, to save time when the director was busy working with 2nd-unit.
* ExecutiveMeddling: Originally, Marvel Studios wanted Creator/MarkRuffalo to play Bruce Banner in this movie, but Universal had Edward Norton on contract for a handful of movies, and decided to have him play the lead in this one. Marvel ultimately parted ways with him come ''The Avengers'' and cast the actor that they wanted from the start.
* FakeNationality: The cast used a few non-Brazilian actors to play Brazilian characters (the factory owner and the leader of the bully trio). Their attempts to speak Portuguese sound ridiculous to real Brazilians.
* HeyItsThatSound: The sounds in the factory where Banner cuts himself are the same as the ones in the Carbonite chamber in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.
* MissingTrailerScene: A scene where a despairing Bruce Banner arrives at the Arctic to commit suicide was featured in the trailer, but was deemed too depressing for an opening and too sensitive for young viewers and was removed from the film. It was later included in the deleted scenes on home media and officially canonized in ''The Avengers''.
* TheOtherDarrin:
** Creator/MarkRuffalo replaced Creator/EdwardNorton in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. Norton replaced Creator/EricBana. [[spoiler:Making TheStinger for ''Film/IronMan3'' and ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' the second most times they kept the same actor after]] Creator/BillBixby.
** Creator/LivTyler replaced Creator/JenniferConnelly as Betty Ross.
** Creator/SamElliott wanted to reprise his role as General Ross, but it was taken by Creator/WilliamHurt.
* ThePeteBest: Bruce ended up being [[TheOtherDarrin Other Darrin-ed]] in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', which became massively popular while this film became relatively obscure (by Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} standards, that is). As such, many fans are only familiar with Creator/MarkRuffalo's version of the character and are unaware that Edward Norton was the first actor to portray Banner in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse.
* PromotedFanboy: Creator/EdwardNorton and Creator/WilliamHurt are big fans of the Hulk.
* QuoteSource: This film provides the page quote for:
** SuperStrength
* RoleReprise: While Creator/LouFerrigno, the actor that played the Hulk on television, doesn't do the motion-capture for the character in this movie, he does lend his voice to the character.
* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The Hulk has the dubious distinction of being the one hero with his own solo movie that was introduced in Phase One... and ''not'' given a sequel in Phase Two and Three. All subsequent appearances of the Hulk or Bruce Banner have been full appearances in the first four ''Avengers'' movies and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', and cameos in ''Film/IronMan3'', ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', and ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019''. Part of the reason for this is that Universal still has the distribution rights to the character's solo films so Disney/Marvel Studios can only put him into the Avengers movies.
* SoMyKidsCanWatch:
** Creator/TimRoth accepted his role because his sons are comic-book superhero fans.
** Creator/WilliamHurt and his son are big fans of the Hulk.
* StarDerailingRole: This movie was a moderate success, but it was also the last starring role for Creator/EdwardNorton in a much bigger production, because afterwards he would at best be casted for smaller roles in bigger movies and at worst get bigger roles in smaller movies. He's had incredible success with other, smaller films and seems comfortable with that.
* {{Uncredited Role}}: {{Creator/Robert Downey Jr}} is uncredited for his cameo as Tony Stark in the final scene.
* WagTheDirector: Creator/EdwardNorton rewrote the script himself to bring the film closer in line to the comics. In certain posters, he was credited under the pseudonym of 'Edward Harrison'. Norton's writing credit was later denied by the WGA, and Zak Penn is the only writer credited.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[WhatCouldHaveBeen/MarvelCinematicUniverse Enough for its own page]].
* WordOfGod:
** According to Creator/LouisLeterrier, the final scene (Banner grins as his eyes turn green) was a deliberately ambiguous shot: it was meant to show that Bruce finally learns to controls Hulk (for a sequel) or will become a menace (as the villain for ''Film/TheAvengers2012''). Neither of which has happened, but Hulk did attack the Helicarrier in ''The Avengers''.
** Martin Starr briefly appears as a computer geek that Banner bribes with some pizza. He would later play a teacher nearly a decade later in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''. Creator/KevinFeige would eventually confirm that both of Starr's roles are the same character.
----

* InspirationForTheWork: Louis Leterrier's primary inspiration was Creator/JephLoeb and Creator/TimSale's ''Hulk Gray'' (a retelling of the character's first appearance). He replicated every comic book panel that he pinned-up during pre-production, from the many comics he browsed, in the final film.

* {{Uncredited Role}} {{Creator/Robert Downey Jr}} is uncredited for his cameo as Tony Stark in the final scene.

** In an alternate opening, a depressed Bruce Banner arrives at the Arctic to shoot himself, but transforms into Hulk before he can do so. This scene is canon, as a version of this scene is referenced in ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. Within this same scene, Captain America can be seen in the glacier.
** Extended footage of Banner in Brazil exercising, meditating, working at the soda factory and building a centrifuge.

** An extended version of Ross informing Emil Blonsky of the Super Soldier Serum.

** After finding Bruce and Betty in New York City, General Ross tells Kathleen Sparr to interrogate Sterns, after which there is an extended version of Betty talking to Ross.

* MissingTrailerScene: A scene where a futile Bruce Banner arrives at the Arctic to commit suicide was featured in the trailer, but was deemed too sensitive for young viewers and was removed from the film. It was later included in the deleted scenes on home media and officially canonized in ''The Avengers''.

!!TV series
* ActingForTwo: In one episode David meets his exact double, a mobster named Mike Cassidy. In another episode Lou Ferrigno (in his first speaking role) plays a bodybuilder in addition to being the Hulk. The two meet during the climax of the episode.
* AuthorExistenceFailure: During production of the second season, Ted Cassidy (who provided the Hulk's vocal effects for the first two seasons) died in January 1979 due to complications from heart surgery. As such, he was replaced by Creator/CharlesNapier.
** They kept Cassidy's narration in the opening credits, to honor his memory.
* TheDanza: Jack Colvin as Jack [=McGee=].
* DirectedByCastMember: Jack Colvin directed two episodes, "Goodbye, Eddie Cain" and "East Winds". Bill Bixby directed one, plus three of the TV movies.
* DisabledCharacterDisabledActor: "King of the Beach" features Lou Ferrigno (playing a role other than his usual green-skinned one) as Carl Molino, a man who like Ferrigno in real life has a hearing deficit.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Since Banner wasn't supposed to have any memories of what he did as the Hulk, Bill Bixby made it a point not to watch the Hulk's scenes, feeling it would make his portrayal more authentic.
* ExecutiveMeddling:
** Bruce Banner's name was changed to David because Kenneth Johnson did not want the main character to have what he regarded as a "stereotypically comic-booky alliterative name", although Creator/LouFerrigno claims that CBS thought the name "Bruce" sounded "too gay." Imagine Kenneth's surprise when it was pointed out to him that his lead actor was called '''B'''ill '''B'''ixby.
** Kenneth had also wanted to change the Hulk's skin color itself from green to red, believing red was more symbolic as "the color of rage". However, Marvel vetoed this idea, stating the Hulk's green skin was an iconic image and could not be changed.
* {{Jossed}}: For years, it was rumored that ''Revenge of the Incredible Hulk'' was cancelled due to Bill Bixby's death from prostate cancer in November 1993. However, in February 2014, Gerald Di Pego confirmed that the film was cancelled before Bixby's health deteriorated because of ''Death of the Incredible Hulk'' receiving low ratings.
* TheOtherDarrin: Due to Ted Cassidy dying of complications from heart surgery in January 1979, Charles Napier provided the Hulk's vocal effects in his place.
* TheOtherMarty: Creator/RichardKiel was originally cast as the Hulk but the producers decided he didn't have the right body type. There is one blink-and-you-miss-it moment in the pilot where Kiel is playing the Hulk instead of Lou Ferrigno.
* PlayingAgainstType: In "Never Give a Trucker an Even Break", Grand L. Bush, who usually played lawmen, played a villainous hijacker.
* TroubledProduction: It wasn't too much trouble, but a scene where the Hulk fights a bear was complicated by the fact that the bear found the gelatin mix that was used to color Lou Ferrigno green was delicious and was more interested in licking it off than properly imitate fighting the actor.
* UnfinishedEpisode:
** Shortly after the series ended, Bill Bixby wanted to do a crossover film with ''Series/TheAmazingSpiderMan1978'', and Bixby even had Nicholas Hammond (Spidey's actor) onboard and ready to go, but Universal Pictures passed. Their claim was that Creator/LouFerrigno was unavailable, though Ferrigno would later reveal that he'd never even been contacted nor had he even heard of the proposal until 2003.
** A fourth television film, ''Revenge of the Incredible Hulk'', would have seen Banner resurrected, and with the ability to control his Hulk power. Apparently dying didn't exactly ''cure'' him. It just would have made it so that Banner could control himself when he transformed... that and actually ''talk'', something the Hulk really didn't do outside of the two-part episode "Prometheus" when Banner was [[spoiler:trapped halfway between human and Hulk.]] However, the movie was cancelled due to ''Death of the Incredible Hulk'' receiving low ratings. Another movie that would have been a backdoor pilot for ComicBook/IronMan was also being considered, and a She-Hulk movie was in pre-production at one point as well.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Both Creator/RichardKiel and Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger had been considered for the role of the Hulk- Arnie was turned down for being too short, and while Kiel had the job initially and even filmed a few scenes, it was also decided that he was too small (in his muscles, at least) and was replaced. Kiel writes in his autobiography that this was definitely for the best, as his being blind in one eye caused problems with the contact lenses and even resulted in a hair-raising partial loss of vision while he was driving home from the shoot.
* YouLookFamiliar: Several times, most notably Gerald [=McRaney=], who showed up in four episodes as different characters.

!!1996 series
* ExecutiveMeddling: [[http://marvel.toonzone.net/hulk/interviews/sebast/ According to Dick Sebast]], the show's creative team spent the first season constantly fighting against this. Then in the second season, there are certain changes behind-the-scenes--leading to the show losing serialization, becoming LighterAndSofter, and seeing attempts to make the characters look trendy. As Sebast said, "What happened to season 2? The network got its way."
* TheOtherDarrin:
** Creator/NealMcDonough as Bruce Banner and Creator/LouFerrigno as the green Hulk are this, as both roles were voiced by Creator/RonPerlman in their guest appearances on ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' and ''WesternAnimation/IronMan''. Regarding the guest appearance on the former, Luke Perry also replaced Benny Grant as Rick Jones.
** Creator/MauriceLaMarche plays Comicbook/DoctorStrange in this series while Creator/JohnVernon plays him on ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (though this is likely because Vernon was the voice of Thunderbolt Ross in this series).
** Likewise, Creator/LisaZane plays ComicBook/SheHulk in season 1 while Creator/CreeSummer plays her in Season 2.
** Creator/LouFerrigno briefly plays as the transforming Grey Hulk in season 1's finale, while Creator/MichaelDonovan takes over when Grey Hulk makes his later appearances.
** And finally, Genie Francis plays Betty Ross for most of Season 1 while Creator/PhileceSampler plays her later in Season 1 and in Season 2.
* RoleReprise: Matt Frewer (The Leader), Robert Hays (Iron Man), Creator/DorianHarewood (War Machine), Creator/TomKane (H.O.M.E.R.), Beau Weaver (Mister Fantastic), Chuck [=McCann=] (Thing), Creator/SimonTempleman (Doctor Doom), Creator/JohnRhysDavies (Thor) and Richard Grieco (Comicbook/GhostRider). WordOfGod admitted to bringing them back for guest spots to help create a continuity with the preceding Marvel shows.

* RoleReprise: Matt Frewer (The Leader), Robert Hays (Iron Man), Creator/DorianHarewood (War Machine), Creator/TomKane (H.O.M.E.R.), Beau Weaver (Mister Fantastic), Chuck [=McCann=] (Thing), Simon Templeman (Doctor Doom), Creator/JohnRhysDavies (Thor) and Richard Grieco (Comicbook/GhostRider). WordOfGod admitted to bringing them back for guest spots to help create a continuity with the preceding Marvel shows.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: During production of the second season, Ted Cassidy (who provided the Hulk's vocal effects for the first two seasons) died in January 1979 due to complications from heart surgery. As such, he was replaced by Charles Napier.

* DirectedByCastMember: Jack Colvin directed two episodes. Bill Bixby directed one, plus three of the TV movies.

* CelebrityVoiceActor: The Edward Norton Hulk was dubbed by Hiro Mizushima, whom tokusatsu fans would know him as [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Soji Tendou]].#

* ExecutiveMeddling: Originally, Marvel Studios wanted Mark Ruffalo to play Bruce Banner in this movie, but Universal had Edward Norton on contract for a handful of movies, and decided to have him play the lead in this one. Marvel ultimately parted ways with him come ''The Avengers'' and cast the actor that they wanted from the start.

* WordOfGod: Martin Starr briefly appears as a computer geek that Banner bribes with some pizza. He would later play a teacher nearly a decade later in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''. Creator/KevinFeige would eventually confirm that both of Starr's roles are the same character.

* CelebrityVoiceActor: The Edward Norton Hulk was dubbed by Hiro Mizushima, whom tokusatsu fans would know him as [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Soji Tendou]].

** Creator/MarkRuffalo replaced Creator/EdwardNorton in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. Norton replaced Creator/EricBana. [[spoiler:Making TheStinger for ''Film/IronMan3'' and ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' the second most times they kept the same actor after Bill Bixby.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/LouisLeterrier initially wanted Creator/MarkRuffalo for the role of [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]], but Marvel insisted on casting Creator/EdwardNorton instead. Ironically, Ruffalo would go on to replace Norton as Banner in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse.
*** Creator/DavidDuchovny and Creator/DominicPurcell were also considered for the role of Bruce Banner before the casting of Norton.
** Creator/RayStevenson was considered for Emil Blonsky before Creator/TimRoth was cast in the part. Stevenson would later go on to play Volstagg in the ''Film/{{Thor}}'' films.
** [[Series/TheWire Michael K. Williams']] cameo as a Harlem bystander was originally going to be much longer. He would have pleaded with the Hulk and Abomination to stop their fighting, only to change his mind and basically tell the Hulk.
--->'''Bystander:''' You know what, never mind, ''waste this bitch.''
** Before the unsuccessful attempt to incorporate the Oscorp Tower in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', which would've made Creator/AndrewGarfield's incarnation of Comicbook/SpiderMan part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, [[http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/06/12/spider-man-meets-the-hulk-the-cross-over-that-almost-was-but-wasnt/ Louis Leterrier originally intended to have Tobey Maguire have a cameo as Peter Parker in this movie.]] Funnily enough, he said in the same interview that [[HilariousInHindsight "Years from now you'll see Peter Parker meeting Bruce Banner".]]
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMmqFn1Tq4 An alternate opening of the film]] had Bruce Banner running around in the Arctic, preparing to commit suicide before HulkingOut as a self-defense mechanism. This scene featured [[FreezeFrameBonus a brief glimpse]] at [[http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/captain-america-officially-found-in-the-incredible-hulk/ Captain America's frozen body]]. Supposedly, Captain America was originally intended to debut properly in TheStinger for the film.
** Rick Jones was present in early drafts of the film, but ended up being removed once Norton rewrote the script.
** An earlier draft (for the sequel to the [[{{Film/Hulk}} 2003 film]]) would've made the Abomination a CompositeCharacter with Glenn Talbot.

* RoleReprisal: Matt Frewer (The Leader), Robert Hays (Iron Man), Creator/DorianHarewood (War Machine), Creator/TomKane (H.O.M.E.R.), Beau Weaver (Mister Fantastic), Chuck [=McCann=] (Thing), Simon Templeman (Doctor Doom), Creator/JohnRhysDavies (Thor) and Richard Grieco (Comicbook/GhostRider). WordOfGod admitted to bringing them back for guest spots to help create a continuity with the preceding Marvel shows.

* RoleReprisal: While Creator/LouFerrigno, the actor that played the Hulk on television, doesn't do the motion-capture for the character in this movie, he does lend his voice to the character.