Before Yellowstone, Josh Lucas Starred In A Divisive Marvel Movie

Josh Lucas has had some high-profile roles in his time, but dads will likely know him best for playing young John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone." Long before he portrayed a younger version of Kevin Costner's famous character, however, Lucas appeared in Ang Lee's "Hulk," a pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe entry that remains a misunderstood triumph over 20 years later.

In a behind the scenes featurette, Lucas spoke about chasing Sheridan for a role in "Yellowstone." "I think Taylor Sheridan is the first and only director that I actually have stalked," he said, adding that he was a fan of Sheridan's writing prior to "Yellowstone." He lobbied hard for the role of ranch foreman Rip Wheeler, which eventually went to his friend Cole Hauser. But he maintained contact with Sheridan and was eventually offered the role of young John Dutton — though, he'd have to wait until the show was almost over to be given any significant scenes.

Lucas portrayed young John in nine episodes across three separate seasons, but most of his appearances occurred in the fifth and final season. In a 2022 Deadline interview, the actor recalled Sheridan telling him that he wasn't going to have much to do until Season 5. "I remember genuinely thinking, 'This guy's crazy,'" he explained. "Like, I just remember having that moment where the idea that a television show goes more than one or two years is fairly unique or rare, much less five seasons. " But "Yellowstone" did make it to five seasons, and Lucas was finally given the spotlight. His scenes offered viewers an insight into John's history, proving the hard-bitten Dutton patriarch had always struggled with fending off threats to his land. But Lucas must have been used to it, seeing as he previously faced down the Hulk himself.

Josh Lucas started acting in the early 1990s. By the early 2000s, he was already landing significant roles in films such as 2001's "A Beautiful Mind," 2002's "Sweet Home Alabama," and, of course, Ang Lee's 2003 superhero effort "Hulk." Lucas played former soldier Glenn Talbot, who in the film arrives at Bruce Banner's (Eric Bana) lab as a representative of a company named Atheon. The firm wants to use Bruce's research to create an army of soldiers capable of regenerating their health, and Talbot is willing to do anything to make it happen. He's a pretty slimy guy who happens to have a shared history with Bruce's main squeeze, Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly). He's also a complete coward who attacks Bruce in his home then immediately cowers when he awakens the beast within. Lucas was great in the role.

Sadly, the film itself wasn't seen as so great — at least in 2003. Ang Lee saw "Hulk" as a natural evolution following his Wuxia hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." He crafted an original story that significantly diverged from the more straightforward blockbuster fare audiences were expecting. Lee's "Hulk" was actually about something — namely, childhood trauma and repressed memories. As Lee put it back in 2003, "I feel everyone has a Hulk inside [...]" Clearly, the filmmaker was taking a more cerebral approach to his movie. Critics, however, weren't having it.

The film was met with mixed to negative reviews, with many reviewers calling out what they saw as an overlong runtime and somewhat slow pace. Retrospective reviews have been much kinder, but at the time, this was not the triumph anyone, including Lucas, hoped for.

"Hulk" debuted five years before "Iron Man" released in theaters and changed Hollywood forever. But in 2003, superhero movies were in a strange place. Post 1997's "Batman & Robin," we'd seen the genre rebound with 1998's "Blade" and the 20th Century Fox "X-Men" films. Yet, by the time Ang Lee put his spin on Bruce Banner's story, there were signs of trouble. That same year, Ben Affleck suited up as the Man without Fear in "Daredevil," while the superhero bomb "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" effectively killed Sean Connery's career. Then, in 2004, "Catwoman" would have convinced most of us that the superhero movie was dead altogether if Sam Raimi hadn't delivered the unimpeachably great "Spider-Man 2."

It was in this uneven territory that Lee's "Hulk" emerged, and it was hardly "Spider-Man 2." At least, critic and audiences didn't think so at the time. Even if it has been reappraised, the time has long since passed where having a significant role in Lee's "Hulk" could have supercharged Josh Lucas' career.

Still, after playing Glenn Talbot, the actor continued to work, appearing in 2005's "Stealth" and the 2006 sports drama "Glory Road" before landing roles in 2011's "The Lincoln Lawyer" and 2019's "Ford v Ferrari." Young John Dutton, in particular, is one of his best performances of recent years, with Lucas doing a remarkable job of evoking Kevin Costner's performance without doing a full on impression of the older actor. (That's part of the reason Lucas and Costner were kept separate on the "Yellowstone" set.) As such, "Yellowstone" was a great showcase for his talents. But he also did a fine job in "Hulk," even if his contributions were as overlooked as the film itself.