MTv has a little blurb from Ed Norton regarding the future of The Incredible Hulk franchise:

“Incredible Hulk” star Edward Norton says Marvel Studios isn’t giving him any indication they want him to reprise his role as the publisher’s green goliath, whether in a solo sequel or team-up project.

“The minds of Marvel are sometimes opaque,” Norton told MTV News. “I won’t say [they’re] obtuse, but I don’t have any idea what they want to do.”

Norton said he’s also been kept in the dark regarding any plans for him, in his role as Hulk’s alter-ego Bruce Banner, to appear in Marvel’s big team-up project, “The Avengers.” The film, which is expected to feature The Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and several other Marvel characters, is currently scheduled for a 2011 release.

“They’ve got this notion of collecting the Marvel characters,” said Norton, who appeared a bit skeptical of Marvel’s ambitious plans for the project. “Who knows where they’ll go?”

I’m not sure if all that Ed Norton vs. Marvel stuff happened like it was rumored to, or if there is no rift at all between Norton and the powers that be, but let’s face it, they don’t need Norton to come back if they put the Hulk in an Avenger’s movie. They could just use the Hulk, no Bruce and (in my opinion) not lose out on a whole lot. In a perfect world, Norton will come back, the Hulk will be back, and all will be good, but it’s nice to know that if Norton for whatever reason didn’t/couldn’t/won’t come back it doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of the Hulk.