William Hurt is aging really well, don’t you think? Not only that, he’s having fun and scoring some great roles, including a cameo in this summer’s “The Incredible Hulk.” He revealed a few morsels in an interview with MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival, where he was promoting his romance drama, “The Yellow Handkerchief.”

In case you haven’t heard, Marvel Comics is cross-branding many of its heroes. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury will make a cameo in May 2’s “Iron Man,” and Iron Man himself will drop into Hulk.

Here’s what you need to know to be a good conversationalist about “The Incredible Hulk”:

Hurt plays General Thaddeus Ross, the father of Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross. “I have a scene with Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr. It’s a funky scene.”

He’s not sure how it’ll all work. “I know it’s weird [to work with a character from another movie], and to know it’s a device. We did something; I don’t know what that’s going to be like [to watch].”

A lot happens in his scene. “[Hulk] has beaten Abomination, and then there’s a crowd that gathers around, and they realize that he’s beaten Abomination. That Abomination was the one who was killing for just the joy of killing; Hulk is not the one.”

It’s a turning point in the film. “It’s the moment of turn, when society’s relationship with Hulk stops being so stupid.”

The film won’t portray Hulk as a misunderstood monster. Unlike Ang Lee, director Louis Leterrier (the “Transporter” films) will make the Hulk more heroic. “I want to see the relationship between Hulk and a world that realizes he’s not the villain,” Hurt said. “Hulk and Betty Ross have their moment, and the crowd realizes he’s not the bad guy.”

Edward Norton, who wrote the script with Zak Penn, worked hard to maintain storyline balance. “The script has to do with the fact that [Banner’s] conscience still exists in a body that is a manifestation of power and is greater than his own ability to control it,” noted Hurt. “Because that’s what’s happening to us. That’s the central metaphor for all of us, that we’re learning these powers â?? technological powers, whatever â?? that we don’t know if we have enough conscience to control in a wise way yet. And that’s what he’s doing.”

Hurt is a comic book geek. “I believe in Hulk. Absolutely. That’s why I did the movie. I’m a Hulk fan, and he was always my favorite. I keep asking my son why he’s both of our favorites. I read the comic books, but he’s a real fanatic. I didn’t even know he was a fanatic for Hulk until after I agreed to do the film â?? and we’re father and son.”

Check out this Hulk panel at 2007’s Comic Con:

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