enthusiastic scientist Samuel Sterns". Accolades Future Further MCU appearances Mark Ruffalo (Leterrier's first choice before casting Norton) replaced Norton as Banner / Hulk in the MCU beginning in The Avengers (2012), after Feige said he chose not to bring back Norton. In October 2014, Norton claimed he chose never to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" with his career, and did not want to be associated with only one character. Ruffalo also portrayed the character in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Ruffalo said Banner was able to have a more prominent role in Ragnarok, Infinity War, and Endgame because of the lack of a standalone Hulk film, with the character's arc in those films "feel[ing] like a Hulk movie". Ruffalo also made appearances in credits scenes of Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain Marvel (2019), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Hurt first reprised his role as Thaddeus Ross in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Ruffalo and Roth both reprised their roles in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022). Roth also provided uncredited vocals for Abomination in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Nelson is set to reprise his role as Samuel Sterns / Leader in Captain America: New World Order (2024). Potential sequel In March 2008, Norton said "a lot" was left out of the film because it had been envisioned as multiple parts, with this film "intended as chapter one". Leterrier made the film's final shot of Banner ambiguous; the thought being if there was a sequel, it would mean Banner finally masters control over his anger; if there was not a sequel, the shot indicated instead that he becomes a menace in The Avengers. Leterrier had also intended for a scene in the credits showing Blonsky, human once more, imprisoned and chained in a box, with Feige originally having an idea that the character would be locked in a steel vault that would have been sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The character of Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson, was introduced to set him up as a villain in a possible future film, where he would become the Leader. Aaron Sims, the lead designer on The Incredible Hulk, also took time to work on concepts for the Leader. Ty Burrell was also interested in