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It is no secret for regular readers that I wasn't particularly impressed with Ang Lee's version of The Hulk. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the flick -- far from it, actually. I found it to be a decent effort with truly inspired moments; I just thought it was lackluster overall. The character of The Hulk has a lot of movie potential, and you've got to credit Ang Lee for trying to go beyond the basic "Hulk Smash!" mentality, but there's only so much character study we want to see on The Hulk before we get antsy for him to start breaking things in cheesy action-movie fashion. Why did we invent action movies if not to showcase characters like Hulk?

Apparently, current Marvel favorite Zak Penn was at one point asked to write up a script treatment for the film which was eventually handed to Lee. Penn's initial draft was rejected in favor of a more introspective piece, but when Marvel realized fans seemed to want more action, they went knocking on Penn's door again. Penn, who has since proved his worth to Marvel by putting together other successful movie scripts, was willing and eager to give it another try. According to Penn, Marvel went back to his original script and said "this is more of the tone we wanted," so he'll be lifting some of his original ideas for his second try.

I'll admit to being initially skeptical of a remake this quickly after an original, but at this point I'm one hundred percent fanboy geeked for a new Hulk film. What are your thoughts on going back to the Zak Penn well?

If you haven't heard the latest news on the Hulk pseudo-sequel rumblings, let me quickly fill you in before we discuss today's news -- otherwise, you'd probably be a bit confused. Hulk, as a movie, disappointed most fans. It might have been an interesting character study, or whatever, but it wasn't what we wanted from a Hulk film. The bad reception made the possibility of a sequel very slim; Marvel now says they are handling the property themselves, and will NOT be making a sequel, but will instead just "try again" with a new Hulk film. A restart, if you will. Since that announcement, rumors have flown fast and furious regarding who will play the new Hulk. The only thing more or less everyone agreed on was that it would not be Erik Bana, star of the recent Hulk flop.

Bana, however, would like to be considered. When asked recently about his thoughts on returning to the franchise (by a scooper over at Superhero Hype), he did not outright deny it, as we all expected he would. Instead, he said it depends on a lot of things, like the script, the timing and whether they want him. He'd like to, and he's looking to talk about "that one real soon." The highlighted emphasis is my own, because I consider it to be the key phrase in this comment. If Marvel wants to clearly break from the first film and start over again, they surely wouldn't use the same actor, right? That'd cause all manner of sequel/not-a-sequel confusion. ...

Rumors of a sequel to Ang Lee's Hulk flick have been slowly shaping up into an actual, true story. At first, we were all rather incredulous to learn Marvel was interested in returning to the franchise so quickly, because -- let's face it -- the film didn't really meet with a great reception from the fans. We just weren't sure how to handle his vision of the Hulk, for good or bad. Then we were told it would be direct-to-DVD and would not include any of the original cast/crew, and we all sort of nodded our collective heads in understanding. Now it made sense to us. Capitalize on the fan base to rake in a few extra bucks from a cheaply made part two. This is certainly familiar territory. Next we learned that Marvel was not planning on making this new Hulk film a sequel to the recent project (which works well, since none of the principles will return), but would rather focus on rebooting the franchise in a more classically "Hulk Smash" style of story.

Now, finally, comes official confirmation of a big screen debut for Hulk Redux. Screen writer Zak Penn (who is a big mover in Marvel circles these days) has put the official nix on all direct-to-DVD rumors. He's hyped about a chance to deliver a new vision for the Hulk, and he said "This will NOT be straight to DVD, or even a cheap movie. Marvel is dropping a lot of money on this and I think it has a chance to be better than the first or I wouldn't be involved." I know there are a lot of naysayers out there who think this is far too soon for a remake (and honestly, I do agree in part), but my inner geek is still very excited about a "Hulk Smash!" movie.

Yes, Hulk 2 is on the move. As part of the upcoming slew of Marvel films slated to hit the silver screen in the coming years, Hulk has apparently been granted a sequel -- and despite being handled by Paramount, it isn't covered by the recent financial arrangements people are referring to as Marvel's "war chest," which makes it a riskier film for Marvel financially. The second Hulk film will attempt to remedy what Marvel insiders see as the major reason for failure in the first: People wanted a popcorn action flick with lots of "Hulk Smash!" and were given a study in anger instead. This time, Hulk will be an out and out hero complete with a love story and plenty of fighting.

And oh, what a baddie he is slated to fight, according to Marvel guru Arad. The choice? Abomination! Yes, Hulk will be going toe to toe with another crazy, thousand pound monster.* Personally, I'm very excited for this film, but I hope Marvel can keep it together financially for the next few years. They aren't really a large enough company to absorb too many flops.

*Yes, comic book nerds, I am aware neither of them are technically 1000 pounds. Hulk is 1040 (unless you are talking gray Hulk, and really, who talks gray Hulk?) and Abomination 980.  Close enough.