Mark Ruffalo, who has played Bruce Banner/The Hulk since his first appearance as the character in 2012’s The Avengers, isn’t sure that the Marvel Cinematic Universe can return to the same stature it had before Endgame and Phase Four, both in terms of quality and box office success. One such problem, Ruffalo believes, was MCU oversaturation. Before 2022, the MCU might put a few films per year. In 2022? The MCU put out nine shows and films total, something which Ruffalo believes detracted from the universe’s “mystique.”
“I think the expansion into streaming was really exciting, but the thing about Marvel movies is you had to wait three years and that created a mystique,” Ruffalo told GQ Magazine. “These corrections could be really positive things. Will it be what it was? I don’t know.”
As for whether or not the Hulk will get another standalone Marvel film or when he’ll next appear in the MCU, those are two questions about which Ruffalo himself is still unsure. Ruffalo joked that the Hulk making appearances now in the MCU is “pricey” and that he may very well have “priced himself out” of the special effects which the Hulk necessitates.
“I’d love to do a standalone Hulk, I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” Ruffalo added. “It’s very expensive if you did a whole movie, which is why they use the Hulk so sparingly. I priced myself out!”
As for whether or not Ruffalo regrets joining the MCU in the first place or is bothered by the negative stigma which becomes attached to some actors who have worked steadily in the MCU (Robert Downey Jr., who played Iron Man/Tony Stark, recently voiced similar concerns) — or as Ruffalo himself phrases it, “You know, man, aren’t you worried no big directors are going to want to work with you?” — Ruffalo said he isn’t bothered. In fact, he’s proud of his tenure with the MCU.
“I’m really proud of it. I’ve sat in movie theaters with the movies I’ve done with big directors. I’ve also experienced these Marvel movies with an audience and the amount of community and expression… it touched every single emotion. That means something to me. I don’t look down on it.”
Ruffalo is currently nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his work in Poor Things, a sci-fi/comedy currently playing in theaters.
What do you think of the fact that Mark Ruffalo thinks MCU had more mystique before streaming on Disney? Would you like to see Ruffalo star as the Hulk in another MCU movie? Let us know in the comments.
