‘I think that’s a brilliant character’: David Tennant’s ‘Doctor Who’ return may never have happened if his ‘Avengers’ audition had paid off

David Tennant‘s return for Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary is the perfect birthday present for the Whoniverse, as the arrival of the Fourteenth Doctor has helped relaunch the sci-fi institution for a brand-new era. One powered and partially funded by Disney.

Tennant is no stranger to working with Disney, of course, as he recently voiced Huyang in Ahsoka and once played Kilgrave in Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Before he became the Purple Man, however, Tennant came close to playing one of the founding members of the MCU’s Avengers — a career move that, if successful, may well have had the butterfly effect of preventing him from returning to Doctor Who a decade later.

David Tennant reportedly auditioned to play his childhood hero in The Avengers

Doctor Who fans may know that Tennant, like them, is a lifelong lover of the series, but what is less well-known is that Tennant’s other childhood passion was Marvel. The Scottish actor was an avid Marvel Comics reader as a kid and, in particular, was a massive fan of the Incredible Hulk.

It was no surprise, then, that when Marvel were looking to replace Edward Norton for 2012’s The Avengers, Tennant’s name entered the ring to be the new Bruce Banner. Back in 2010, The Los Angeles Times listed the actor among those who the studio was considering for the role. Obviously, though, Mark Ruffalo won out in the end, going on to star as Bruce throughout the Infinity Saga and beyond.

Tennant has never publicly commented on being in the running for Hulk — actors who’ve missed out on Marvel roles rarely do, probably because of NDAs — so we’re unclear how close he came to landing it. However, he has continued to gush about his love for the character. When asked to name his favorite superhero at Madison Wizard World 2016, Tennant said:

“When I was a kid, it was Incredible Hulk. Definitely. Definitely. Because there was something about how he wasn’t quite a hero. It was deeply tragic, his story. Partly the TV show but also the comic books — this sense that he was almost like a child, he was kind of lost. I just loved it and I think that’s a brilliant character. I used to love him.”

Why Doctor Who fans should be grateful David Tennant is not the Hulk

Ever since leaving Doctor Who originally in 2010, Tennant has continued to be a regular presence on TV screens — in addition to Jessica Jones, he’s also appeared in such other hit shows as Broadchurch and Good Omens. If he had become the MCU’s Hulk, however, then not only would his Marvel commitments have swamped his schedule, it could well have seen his entire career pivot to movies over TV. So we probably would’ve had to say goodbye to Crowley and the Fourteenth Doctor.

Tennant might’ve achieved a lifelong dream come true if he had managed to play Bruce Banner, but his fans should be relieved things played out as they did. Besides, he’s already portrayed one of his boyhood heroes — twice over, in fact — in the Doctor, so his inner child is still one happy kid.