Schwarzenegger may have been the first Hulk before Lou Ferrigno

If we talk about superheroes, we have to touch the Hulk’s name as one of the most legendary of all time, and we have to associate him, yes or yes, with the name Lou Ferrigno long before that of our current Emerald Man, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banners. But it turns out that before knowing this variety of names that have been personified as the green hero of Marvel Studios, the position may have been occupied by Arnold Schwarzenegger even if his fans would not have guessed it.

kenneth johnsonDirector of ‘The Incredible Hulk’ played by actor Lou Ferrigno in 1977, he revealed that Arnold Schwarzenegger was his favorite bet to play the Emerald Man for the first time in superhero television. Inverse has published an interview with the director, who shares, among many details, the reasons the former California governor did not fill the role, among them, his short stature.

Johnson detailed how significant the Emerald Giant-inspired productions and stories were to him. The director stressed that of all his opinions, the favorite incarnation of the superhero is the one created by Mark Ruffalo. And he added that one of the worst he’s seen, considering it a waste of time, was the version by Louis Leterrier and Edward Norton that came out in 2008.

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Kenneth Johnson said Schwarzenegger wasn’t tall but his favorite even though he couldn’t be the Hulk

In the same interview, Kenneth Johnson specifies that in the selection and casting process to give life Bruce Banner and his alter ego, he was considering his best option was Arnold Schwarzenegger. The actor had been chosen to embody the green creature of Marvel Studiosdespite being short for a gigantic character.

The reason why Schwarzenegger did not materialize as the Hulk was not due to his short stature, but due to the fact that at the time the actor I was busy making ‘Conan’but did not hesitate to recommend Lou Ferrigno despite having never acted.

However, the way he considered the casting rigorous led the director to cast Richard Kiel who, compared to Arnold, was quite tall, reaching 2.18 meters in height and, unlike Lou, was a serious actor.

Eventually, and after thinking about it, Johnson decided that Kiel didn’t have the right physique, although he was the right height, and after pondering it for a few days and seeing him in action, they realized it wasn’t working the way they wanted.

They soon called Ferrigno back, no longer holding out hope that Arnold Schwarzenegger would accept the part, and seeing the inexperienced debutant in the pilot scene where Susan Sullivan dies in his arms, they admitted he had done very well and stayed. Now the role has a future on Disney Plus and Marvel Studios in the hands of Mark Ruffalo.