<Li> Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns: The cellular biologist who develops a possible antidote to Banner's condition . Towards the end of the film, Sterns is exposed to some substance that begins his transformation into Leader . </Li> <Li> Ty Burrell as Leonard Samson: A psychiatrist who is in a relationship with Betty during Bruce's absence . Burrell had performed with Norton in the off Broadway play Burn This in 2003, and when Leterrier met him, he recognized Burrell as the "jerk" from the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake, which was how Samson was characterized in the script before Norton rewrote it . </Li> <Li> William Hurt as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: Betty's arrogant father, who has dedicated himself to capturing the Hulk . Leterrier cast Hurt because "Ross is more physical, more explosive in this movie, and no actor goes from zero to 100 as well as William ." He compared Ross to Captain Ahab . The Hulk is Hurt's favorite superhero, and his son is also a big fan of the character . Hurt found production very different from the typical "pure anxiety" of a studio film, finding it more akin to an independent film . He described Ross as "humiliated by Hulk's conscience: he actually sees and recognizes that it's more developed than his own, even though he's a patriot and a warrior for his country . He's sacrificed (much) for that purpose, but at the expense at times of his humanity--which he occasionally recovers ." In June 2015, when reflecting on how his reprisal in Captain America: Civil War was different from this film, Hurt said, "What I created (for The Incredible Hulk) was a Ross who was right out of the graphic novel type of thing, where he was as much of a cartoon, in a way, as the monsters were . His ego was just as big and his problems were just as big . I really did do that consciously . I created a General Ross before which created a verisimilitude for the monsters, by making him a human monster . I worked really hard on the makeup and the exaggerated behavior and things like that and a controlled psychosis ." Sam Elliott had expressed interest in reprising the role from the first Hulk film . </Li> <P> Robert Downey Jr. has an uncredited cameo as Tony Stark at the end of the film . Downey appeared as a favor to Marvel Studios, which he acknowledged as a smart move on Marvel's part, because when he was promoting his film he would also have to mention their other production . Hulk co-creator Stan Lee cameos as a man who becomes ill when drinking the soda poisoned by Banner's blood . Michael K. Williams appears as a Harlem bystander, a role that was written for him by Norton, who is a fan of The Wire . Paul Soles, who voiced Banner in the 1966 The Marvel Super Heroes cartoon, appears as Stanley, a kindly pizza restaurant owner who helps Banner . Additionally, the late Bill Bixby appears, in a scene on his TV comedy - drama The Courtship of Eddie's Father on a television Banner is watching at the beginning of the film . Rickson Gracie has a small role as Bruce Banner's martial arts instructor; despite Gracie's Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu background, he is credited as an Aikido instructor . Peter Mensah plays a small role as General Joe Gellar, one of General Ross' military friends / associates . Christina Cabot portrays Major Kathleen Sparr, General Ross' personal aid . Martin Starr plays a college student, credited as "Computer Nerd" and identified as Amadeus Cho in the novelization for the film . Hulk supporting characters, Jim Wilson and Jack McGee, make cameo appearances as Culver University students played by P.J. Kerr and Nicholas Rose, respectively . </P>

Who plays the general in the incredible hulk