‘Iron Man’ Writers Want Hulk To Be ‘The Avengers’ Villain

Everything in the Marvel Film Universe is leading to the eventual superhero tag team-up, “The Avengers,” with Iron Man, Ant-Man, Thor, and Captain America all fighting side-by-side. What possible villain could compete with that? 

“The Incredible Hulk” director Louis Leterrier told MTV News this past June that he didn’t think any villain could, and suggested that they use a hero instead: his. 

“Iron Man” writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, who themselves may be writing another Marvel movie in the near future, couldn’t agree more, they told MTV News, insisting that everything is building towards making The Hulk the villain in the eagerly anticipated 2011 movie. 

“I hope ‘The Avengers’ embraces that,” Fergus said of having the Hulk as misunderstood baddie. “You don’t want like 10 super-badass good guys fighting together. Where’s the fun in that? Let’s break it off a little. Friends or colleagues who become enemies is always an interesting thing because you know it’s based on love and friendship and that’s always the worst thing to have turn bad — is someone you actually care about and someone you actually believe in.” 

Hulk, of course, has fought nearly every Marvel hero at some point in the comics, and because he already had his own movie, wouldn’t need to be set-up in the new one. In fact, all the hard work is already done. 

“I left the door open for whoever’s going to direct ‘The Avengers’ with our last shot. Edward [Norton] and I, we consciously decided to make the last shot of the movie when he opens his eyes and he smirks at the camera,” Leterrier told us. “Is he enjoying it? Is he malicious? That’s what’s great about Edward. You don’t know if he’s a good guy or bad guy. He’s always on this edge and we’ve been sort of surfing that edge, that very thin edge during the entire movie.” 

Recall, also that Downey Jr. as Tony Stark appears to General Ross at the very end of “Hulk,” a scene Leterrier called the first scene of “The Avengers.” 

Sign Stark and them up for more, Fergus said. 

“I personally like when good-guy characters have to fight each other,” he said. “Good guys going against good guys who both believe in an issue is way more interesting than a villain clearly into evil and I like when former friends become committed enemies.”