Since the Marvel Universe kicked off in 2008, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor have all become essential parts of the greater as well as leaders of their own individual franchises. However, their anger-ridden ally The Incredible Hulk has been far less fortunate when it comes to striking out on his own.

The character has famously struggled to land a runaway box office smash. Both the 2003 Ang Lee Hulk and the 2008 Louis Leterrier quasi-reboot The Incredible Hulk (only the latter of which is considered canon within the MCU) earned comparably mixed reviews and solid, though unspectacular, box office takes. Ever since, Marvel Studios has relegated the Hulk to an ensemble player only and kept references to his solo film to a bare minimum. However, some new information indicates that the studio may be open to revisiting the world that was introduced in Leterrier's film.

Crave Online recently caught up with Tim Roth - who played Marvel baddie The Abomination in The Incredible Hulk - about whether he would be game to return to tangle with his green-skinned nemesis in a future film. Here's what the actor had to say:

"They were going to do it. They did do that. They were thinking, in The Avengers 2 or something. There was a movie we could do that at one point, but way back when. It just kind of got swept under the carpet I guess. That would be hilarious."

Tim Roth The Abomination a villain in The Avengers

Roth's revelation regarding Avengers: Age of Ultron isn't entirely surprising, seeing as rumors have previously swirled that The Abomination could re-appear as an Avengers villain at some point. As it stands, he and the Red Skull are two of the biggest Marvel villains still open to return in future installments (the Mandarin, notwithstanding).

The latter character reportedly nearly appeared in The Avengers, and with Marvel Studios' continuing mantra of "it's all connected," it stands to reason that the powers that be (i.e. Kevin Feige) are actively looking for opportunities to bring powerful foes like The Abomination back into the mix.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer 1 - Hulk Upset

Yet, despite some reports to the contrary, the fact remains that the chance of seeing Roth return to the MCU anytime soon will likely be limited to ensemble films. With so many moving parts in place both on television and the big screen, one can't help but wonder what surprises Marvel will have in store for fans when the two-part Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters in 2018 and 2019. Considering the curveballs the MCU has offered thus far, there's every chance that Roth could still be receiving a call from Marvel in the next few years.

Would you like to see The Abomination return in a future Avengers film, or would you prefer if Marvel left that character in the past? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts.

Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters on May 2, 2015. Stay tuned to Screen Rant for details on all the latest details on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Source: Crave Online