The Hulk to be revealed in Super Bowl ad

Comic-book geeks will finally have a reason to watch the Super Bowl next year. Universal Pictures plans to unveil the computer-generated star of next summer’s ”The Hulk” in an ad during the game, Variety reported. The studio just released the first still image of its version of the Marvel Comics creature, but the picture obscures his face.

The Hulk CG character — which is supposed to resemble star Eric Bana and show human emotions — is said to represent a huge technical challenge for the movie, directed by Ang Lee (”Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). Creating the Hulk has required George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic to pioneer new computer animation techniques, even as reports suggest that the filmmakers have had difficulty coming up with a final design. Universal hopes that releasing the Hulk’s image will counteract such negative buzz, according to Variety.

”The Hulk,” which also stars Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, and Nick Nolte, is scheduled to hit theaters June 20. The Super Bowl is set for Jan. 26.