Monster of the Day #998

What Might Have Been: Mr. Kiel was originally cast to play the Hulk on the old Bill Bixby TV show. Although certainly muscular and a veritable giant, they realized he just didn’t look as gigantically muscled as the Hulk should be. Mr. Kiel was replaced by the far more familiar Lou Ferrigno. This brief lone shot of Mr. Kiel was kept in the pilot and all that remains of his tenure.

  • Beckoning Chasm

    Hard to judge from just the one shot, but I think I agree with the producers. While the Hulk is tall, I always think of him as kind of square-ish–more or less as wide as he is tall.

  • You want a “what might have been”, try picturing Arnold Schwarzenegger in the part. They almost hired him, too.

  • bgbear_rnh

    Yet Tom Cruise can play Jack Reacher.

  • sandra

    “the far more familiar Lou Ferrigno’? Before The Hulk, Ferrigno only appeared in the documentary Pumping Iron, in which he competes with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Mr Olympia title – and loses.

  • Flangepart

    “In the valley, of the jolly…” EAT YER PEAS, OR I’LL RIP YER ARMS OFF!”
    “What was that?”
    “Just preping for whatever the scrip calls on me to say.”
    “Uh…the Hulk don’t speak actual words, Mr. Kiel. He just grunts.”
    “(Sigh) Here we go again…”

  • bgbear_rnh

    I think Ken meant familiar to us now.

  • zombiewhacker

    I read they were also considering Arnold for either Iron Man or Thor.