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Fans expressed doubt about the purposed live-action "Justice League Mortal" film that would unite a bunch of DC superheroes, especially when some of them have yet to establish themselves in their own films. It looks like 'The Powers That Be' felt the same way, because the movie was put on indefinite hold.

But, Marvel Studios is determined not to travel down the same path with their purposed "The Avengers" movie.

Producers Gale Anne Hurd and Kevin Feige told SciFi Wire that the reboot "The Incredible Hulk" would help lay the foundation for "The Avengers." Since Marvel Studios started producing their own films, it has opened a unique opportunity to do a character crossover film like "The Avengers."

"I can definitely say that part of the fun of doing all these characters in-house now, the ones we have the rights to, is all about being able to bring something that has never been on screen before, which is the Marvel universe, " Feige said. "Any comic-book reader knows that you can flip through any given issue of a comic and not know who to expect popping into a panel. That's part of the fun of what Stan [Lee] and Jack [Kirby] did so many years ago, by intertwining these characters. We haven't had that ability until now."

It is still in the early stages, but Zak Penn ("X2," "The Incredible Hulk") has been attached to write. Some names bantered about on the web are Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Ant-Man. All of these heroes have movies in various stages of development at Marvel Studios. The producers confirmed rumors that Robert Downey Jr. (who plays Tony Stark in "Iron Man") may appear in "Hulk" by meeting William Hurt's Gen. Ross at a bar.

Hurd's central goal for "The Incredible Hulk" was finding the right Bruce Banner for this remake to take the place of Eric Bana. To do that, Hurd had to figure out who Bruce Banner really is.

"He's a scientist," she said. "He can't outrun you or outfight you. He's on the run and trying to find a cure, but he does have the Hulk inside him."

Hurd felt that Edward Norton was the perfect fit as a Yale grad that knows 'duality' from his roles in "Primal Fear" to "Fight Club."

Meanwhile, the producers said that the future appearance of another Hulk villain would be foreshadowed in the film.

"We have Tim Blake Nelson playing Dr. Samuel Sterns," said Hurd. "... and anyone who is a fan of the comic books knows that Samuel Sterns turns into the Leader, so there is an opportunity to explore that. It's in this film, but for people who aren't aware of that, it's not confusing."

But for this film Hurd felt is was important to have a villain that could equal and even surpass Hulk in sheer power.

Hurd said, "We did that with Abomination. He's bigger, he's stronger, he's mean!"

"The Incredible Hulk" opens in theaters on June 13. "The Avengers" is slated for a 2010 release.

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