Russo Brothers Keep Hulk Guessing Game Alive for Avengers: Doomsday

Directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo are leaving one big Avengers: Doomsday question unanswered: is the Hulk in it?

Joe Russo told The Hollywood Reporter that Bruce Banner is involved in the story built around Doom. Asked directly about the Hulk, he declined to confirm or deny an appearance. The comments were published on Sept. 29. That careful wording keeps both options alive.

For readers new to Marvel, Banner is the quiet physicist. The Hulk is what he becomes when he turns green and very large. The Hollywood Reporter identifies Mark Ruffalo as the actor behind both sides of the character.

The Russos are the directors of Doomsday, the next Avengers team-up film built around Marvel heroes joining forces. It opens in theatres on Dec. 18, with Robert Downey Jr. playing Victor von Doom, also known as Doctor Doom, according to the same report. Marvel has announced 31 characters so far for the cast. Anthony Russo said other characters and actors are also in the film but have not been announced.

The tease follows a new tag added to Avengers: Endgame Encore. Encore is a re-release of the 2019 Avengers film with added material. In the new scene, Doom finds Banner and says, “I’ve come to collect you,” then vanishes with him just as Banner starts to turn green, as described by Empire. The brothers discussed how those extra scenes were put together in an interview with Empire published on Sept. 28.

The production itself started in unusual fashion. The Russos began filming Doomsday without a finished script, according to Deadline. That is rare for a film of this size, where shooting schedules, sets and effects usually lock to a complete screenplay. Scripts can still evolve during shooting, but starting without one puts extra pressure on the production calendar.

Ruffalo is staying busy in green elsewhere. He reprises Dr. Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as reported by Deadline in July. That keeps the character in front of audiences before December.

For fans, this means the waiting game continues. Banner is clearly close to Doom’s plan. Whether that means a full Hulk appearance is still locked in the vault until opening night.