Guillermo del Toro Sets the Record Straight on His Involvement with Thor and Dr. Strange and Updates The Hulk TV Series
Posted 08.14.11 by BrentJS
As time goes by, it's beginning to look less and less likely that we will ever see a sequel to Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Back in October 2010, director Guillermo del Toro basically said Hellboy 3 will never happen for a variety of reasons, from creator Mike Mignola's reluctance to let del Toro tell the ending of his character's story, to title star Ron Perlman's extreme dislike of the makeup process to transform him into the "Right Hand of Doom." Perlman sounded a little more interested in reprising the role at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, but del Toro didn't seem to think anything had changed.
Still, comic book movie fans may yet have a chance to see the visionary filmmaker put his unique stamp on another comic book property. In a recent interview with MTV, del Toro discussed everything from being offered the helm of Thor, to the rumors he might be connected to a live-action Doctor Strange movie, to The Hulk TV series he is developing for ABC with Battlestar Gallactica producer David Eick.
Del Toro told MTV he had been offered Thor three years ago and, although he "liked" Kenneth Branagh's version, his would have been far different. He then quickly changed the subject to another Marvel movie.
I liked it... the way I imagined it was like really, really dingy Valhalla, Vikings and mud! It was an unexpected— I mean, I had a blast with Captain America. I mean, I think that it's a good time for superhero movies.
Del Toro also put to rest the rumors he is attached to direct Doctor Strange or somehow involved in its development.
[I'm] entirely out of the mix. It was just a coffee chat with Neil Gaiman. We were just saying, "Wouldn't it be great..." But, I never was attached.
However, del Toro revealed he is "hard at work" with Eick on developing The Hulk as an ABC TV series. The pair have already gone through "three or four treatments with variations" and that he is "very happy" with what they've done. He also revealed that his Hulk does not have to follow the continuity of the character set forth in Marvel Studios' The Incredible Hulk or The Avengers.
We've gone through a lot of iterations with the ABC project and we're very happy where we are right now. We're just waiting [for] the green light to go to pages. ... The trick with The Hulk is how do you accomodate the Hulk in a TV effects budget. ... There's so many things in the Hulk universe that's powerful strands of narrative. They know we are being faithful to those strands, and the movies have their own continuity.
Del Toro's next project is Disney's The Haunted Mansion, which he is currently in the process of writing (with Matthew Robbins) and also plans to direct.