Why did the character in the Incredible Hulk movie in 2008 called himself Bruce Bannner when the TV show character was David Banner?

Answer 1

Johnson saw fit to change the name of the Hulk's comic book alter ego, Dr. (Robert) Bruce Banner, to "Dr. David Banner" for the t.v. series. This change was made, according to Johnson, because he did not want the series to be perceived as a comic book series, so he wanted to change what he felt was a staple of comic books, and Stan Lee's comics in particular, that major characters frequently had alliterative names. On the DVD commentary of the pilot of The Incredible Hulk, Johnson also says that it was a way to honor his late son David. However, according to Stan Lee, Universal changed the name because "Bruce Banner" sounded, in the eyes of the network, like a "gay character" name, and David sounded much better ("Bruce" ultimately became the TV Banner's middle name, as it had been in the comics. It is visible on David's tombstone at the end of the pilot episode).