When production started on Marvel's Captain America: Civil War in May, the studio released an official synopsis and cast list, which was much larger than most fans imagined. Almost all of the original Avengers are returning, along with the new team that assembles at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron and a slew of other previously-established MCU characters. The two most notable exclusions though, were Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), although their absence made more sense when it was announced that Hulk will return in Thor: Ragnarok. Entertainment Weekly caught up with screenwriter Christopher Markus, who revealed the real reason that both of these heroes won't be involved in Captain America: Civil War.

"You put those guys in a fight, it's over quickly. It's like, 'Well, we have the Hulk on our side.' Oh, fine, then. You've got to kind of choose your roster depending on what kind of fight you want to have."

We reported in October that Hulk will appear in Thor: Ragnarok, where both the Green Goliath and Thor go on a "cosmic road trip." It has also been revealed that both of these characters, who have had a contentious relationship in the past, will square off against each other in a fight, with Chris Hemsworth contending that his Asgardian character will eventually emerge victorious. What they will actually be fighting over, though, remains uncertain at this point.

Hulk's exclusion in Captain America: Civil War also makes sense because the character was not featured in the iconic comic book the movie is based on. Captain America's team will include The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). They will be going up against Team Iron Man, which consists of War Machine (Don Cheadle), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Vision (Paul Bettany).

Jaimie Alexander, who will likely return as Lady Sif in Thor: Ragnarok, teased that Captain America: Civil War will help set up this third Thor adventure, but no specific details were given. Were you hoping that Thor and Hulk would come back for Captain America: Civil War? Or are you looking forward to their epic fight in Thor: Ragnarok instead? Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for more on both Thor: Ragnarok and Captain America: Civil War.