Original live-action Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno has let his thoughts on a long-running MCU debate be known, and the Hulk could do with a major change.

The original live-action Hulk actor believes it is time to make the Hulk scary again, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be better for it. Edward Norton originated the Bruce Banner seen in the MCU, though the character would really become popular in the shared universe after Mark Ruffalo took over the role in 2012’s The Avengers. Since then, Ruffalo has become the longest-running live-action Hulk actor, playing different sides of one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes and the scientist Bruce Banner. Despite only having a single solo movie, the MCU’s Hulk has gone through major changes.

Hulk and Bruce Banner have gone through quite the journey in the MCU since Norton’s The Incredible Hulk debuted in 2008. The character has played a role in all Avengers movies, also showing up for a substantial part in Thor: Ragnarok and more. After years of battling with each other, Banner and the Hulk have now become one in the MCU, with the scientist able to remain in control of his mind when he transforms into the Hulk, which has led to him becoming known as Smart Hulk. However, that version of the character is not universally beloved.

Lou Ferrigno Doesn’t Like Smart Hulk

The Actor Was The First To Play The Live-Action Hulk

Lou Ferrigno gave life to the Hulk for five seasons of The Incredible Hulk and three movies set years after the series finale. Ferrigno had a different experience playing the character than what Norton and Ruffalo have experienced in the MCU. Different from the two actors, Ferrigno was only responsible for the Hulk side of the Marvel hero, with actor Bill Bixby instead portraying the character’s human side, who was called David Banner instead of Bruce Banner. After a movie trilogy concluded Ferrigno’s The Incredible Hulk, the actor returned as the Hulk’s voice in a few MCU movies.

Check out every MCU movie where Lou Ferrigno voiced the Hulk below:

Ferrigno is not a fan of how the MCU has treated the Hulk, with the actor having revealed multiple times that he is against the Smart Hulk version of the character. At 2019’s Hamilton Comic Con in Canada (via Comicbook.com), Ferrigno revealed he thought Avengers: Endgame’s Smart Hulk spoiled the character, saying, “I didn’t like the way it portrayed [Hulk]. It took away that beauty, that quality of the Hulk” and “Now in this new film, the Hulk is having dialogue conversations, I think it basically just spoiled it.”

Ferrigno would once again show his discontentment with Smart Hulk in a 2022 interview with Syracuse.com. The actor doubled down on how the Hulk needs to be a monstrous being, saying, “I’m very disappointed with the way the Hulk is being portrayed now because he’s wearing a suit and he sounds like a professor.” The actor’s thoughts on Smart Hulk hit on what part of the Marvel fandom has commented about the character, with the decision to make the hero a more human character not being universally beloved.

Ferrigno finished his MCU Hulk comments by adding, “The Hulk needs to be authentic, hideous (and) more organic… Now I don’t know what I’m looking at because it’s too much CGI.” That comment makes sense coming from the actor, as Ferrigno famously played the Hulk without the special effects that have been increasingly used on the character over the years. However, while Ferrigno’s Smart Hulk comments ring true to the character’s core, Hulk is a hero who very much so needs the level of intricate CGI used in MCU projects to bring him to life properly.

Smart Hulk Is A Less Interesting Character Than Savage Hulk

The Hulk Is All About Inner Conflict

At first, Smart Hulk was an interesting take on the character. It allowed the MCU to finally merge both the Banner and Hulk sides of the Marvel hero into one, allowing for Mark Ruffalo to shine in a dual performance like never before. However, the problem with the move lies in how Smart Hulk has been used so far, with the character mostly appearing as comedic relief. That is a far cry from what the Hulk used to be in the MCU.

With Banner and the Hulk at peace with each other, the MCU also loses the character’s most complex aspect, which was the inner turmoil between both identities.

Avengers: Endgame even went as far as showing Smart Hulk feeling embarrassed by his Savage form’s path of destruction in The Avengers Battle of New York when the heroes traveled to the past. Not only has the MCU pulled Banner into a new direction, but it has also reiterated that the franchise is seemingly leaving the popular Savage Hulk behind, with the character now more geared towards science than good old smashing. With Banner and the Hulk at peace with each other, the MCU also loses the character’s most complex aspect, which was the inner turmoil between both identities.

It’s Not Too Late For The MCU To Revisit An Angry Hulk

A Major MCU Movie Rumor Would Make That Possible

Rumors of a World War Hulk movie have been going around for the last couple of years, though Ruffalo recently downplayed the chances of the Hulk ever getting a solo film. If the project were to happen, or if the comic book story were developed under an Avengers film, then a return to an angry Hulk would be in order. Hulk can go back to his savage state to fight other Hulks or be triggered to revert into Savage Hulk by Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader, who will return in Captain America: Brave New World.