Following the one movie marathon to rule them all, the entire Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series, back to back in one sitting, myself and my movie marathon companions decided upon a lighter course for our follow up cinematic binge. Just a casual 10+ hours of super heroics later, and the Avengers were assembled, but not without a fair amount of discussion over the black sheep of the Marvel Cinematic Universe…The Incredible Hulk.
Our journey was documented for the tens of Flicks and Pieces readers to see, starting with Iron Man. Here for your perusal is a collection of thoughts on Marvel Phase One.
Iron Man (2008):
Tony Stark gets his party on in a scene it’s safe to assume is very similar to Robert Downey Jr’s everyday life. That’s just how he rolls.
It turns out that Iron Man is made up of a 50/50 split of montages and explosions.
According to former Rhodey, Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle took his place after Robert Downey Jr. took all of the money that had been set aside for him.
Everyone’s favourite character Phil Coulson is introduced in the first Iron Man film, setting him on a path to heroism.
The Dude being Jeff Bridges, of course. And yes, he pulls it off.
Incidentally, Stark’s friend and ally, James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes, AKA War Machine gets to don the silver suit in Iron Man 2!
The Incredible Hulk (2008):
Controversy and outrage! The Incredible Hulk, outcast of the MCU, was skipped out on. Edward Norton’s take on the mean green machine was a cause of much debate: though Norton departed the franchise after his first appearance, it technically is still part of the MCU. But alas, it’s also by far the most glossed over, forgotten and unattached entry in the series, with Mark Ruffalo’s version of the Hulk wiping any remaining shred of the film from our collective memories. As such, it would not be until the final film in the marathon that the big man would make an appearance.
Collider recently did an excellent series looking back on the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including The Incredible Hulk, which is a particularly interesting read. As to why Norton turned his back on the franchise….he simply didn’t want do it anymore, or so the story goes.
Iron Man 2 (2010):
True story! Pre-Fantastic Four Kate Mara pops into Iron Man 2 for a quick supporting role:
What once was a circle, is now a triangle….that’s about the extent of what happens in this movie!
Thor (2011):
Brought to you by Gilderoy Lockhart:
Loki, Marvel’s greatest villain is finally introduced in Thor….as is Thor, naturally.
BRING ME ANOTHER!
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011):
He’s not dead folks! Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) is zapped to who-knows-where, so there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing this preposterous chap once again somewhere down the line.
The Avengers (2012):
Earth’s greatest hero, Phil.
Flicks and Pieces movie marathons will return with Marvel Phase Two. Share your marathon suggestions in the comments below!
Flicks and Pieces 
I think Incredible Hulk gets short-thrift in the Marvel Universe. There is a lot to love in that version of Hulk.
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It caused big debate during the marathon, I think Ruffalo has done such a good job over two films with the character that Norton’s version has been lost in the shuffle, not helped by it being such an early film in the MCU, before there was such a mass awareness of the universe Marvel were building!
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It is a shame because I think it’s the only time we’ll get a stand-alone Hulk film now. It doesn’t help that Norton’s version of Banner feels so different to Ruffalo’s too.
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Exactly, the two versions of the character just feel so separated, not that that makes Incredible Hulk a bad film by any stretch!
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