Mark Ruffalo, the performer responsible for playing the Hulk in the MCU, says he’d love to make a movie about the character outside the constraints of the franchise. The Hulk has been adapted for the screen numerous times, with several different actors giving life to the character powered by gamma radiation-enhanced rage. Although Ruffalo’s performance has come in service of the big-screen incarnation people remember the most, the future’s looking grim for his solo movie prospects. Nevertheless, Ruffalo’s still hopeful.
The four-time Academy Award nominee recently spoke to GQ (via YouTube) for an extensive retrospective of his long career. Most recently, Ruffalo has been seen playing a weary FBI agent in the HBO Max crime thriller series Task — a role that will surely be mentioned a lot during awards season. However, when reflecting on his career, playing the Hulk in the MCU remains Ruffalo’s most popular movie performance.
While the Hulk does have a standalone film in the MCU, Ruffalo wasn’t playing the character at the time. 2008’s The Incredible Hulk features Edward Norton in the title role; Ruffalo replaced him for the Hulk’s next appearance in 2012’s The Avengers. The Foxcatcher and Poor Things actor reflected on his time in the MCU, saying he’d love to make a standalone movie and noting that the Hulk’s film rights aren’t owned by Marvel, but by Universal:
“Yeah, I’d love to have a solo Hulk movie. I don’t know if you know the story of that, but it’s not really owned by Marvel. It’s a Universal property. I don’t know if it’ll ever really come to be, honestly. We keep talking about it, what it would be. There’s been so many Hulk movies already, it’s like, does anyone really want another one? But I’d love one, and I do think the audiences would be into it if we could crack the nut of it.”
Could Mark Ruffalo Still Reprise the Hulk in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Ruffalo’s odds of returning as the Hulk in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday appear slim. Although dozens are set to reprise their roles in the highly anticipated MCU adventure, Ruffalo hasn’t been announced as part of the roster. He has jokingly addressed this in the past, referencing his infamously loose lips by saying, “They decided that it was better to get rid of me than for me to tell the end of the next movie.”
However, jokes aside, there’s still time to add the Hulk to the gigantic set of returning characters. The movie is more than a year away from release, and although post-production will be extensive (and the Hulk is easily one character who needs a ton of effects work), where there’s a will, there’s a way. Considering that Avengers: Doomsday was reportedly not shot on a traditional set with everyone in the same space, this wouldn’t be a problem. It could happen.