Mark Ruffalo, the beloved Marvel star, recently shared that he’s still very much interested in starring in his own solo Hulk movie. However, he admitted he’s not entirely convinced it will ever come to fruition.
While Ruffalo has graced screens as Bruce Banner in numerous Marvel films, he has yet to lead a standalone Hulk movie. The 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk, is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but famously starred Edward Norton in the lead role.
Considering his extensive appearances across the MCU, from The Avengers to Captain Marvel, Thor: Ragnarok, and Shang-Chi, many fans are left wondering if it’s finally time for Ruffalo’s Hulk to get his well-deserved solo adventure.
(Embedded video content: A look at how Captain America: Brave New World connects to The Incredible Hulk.)
“I’d absolutely love to do a solo Hulk movie,” Ruffalo stated in an interview with GQ, elaborating on the long-standing contractual hurdles. He reminded fans that the cinematic rights for the Hulk aren’t fully held by Marvel; they belong to Universal.
This well-known legal detail has historically complicated the development of new Hulk solo projects, even while allowing the character to feature prominently in team-up films and other heroes’ stories. Despite this, Ruffalo confirmed that Marvel has still engaged in discussions about potential standalone movie concepts.
“We’re constantly talking about what a new Hulk film could be,” he added. “With so many iterations already out there, it makes you wonder if audiences truly desire another one. Personally, I’m all for it, and I believe fans would be too, provided we can find the right creative approach.”
(Embedded slideshow: Exploring surprising Marvel characters not yet announced for Avengers: Doomsday.)
The Hulk’s most recent appearance was in the Disney+ series She-Hulk, which focused on his cousin, Jennifer Walters, and her transformation into She-Hulk. The season finale surprised many by revealing Banner had a son, Skaar, a storyline the MCU has yet to revisit.
Adding to the expanding Hulk-verse, Captain America: Brave New World introduced Harrison Ford as Red Hulk, bringing the total number of Hulks in the MCU to at least four. This raises questions about whether these multiple Hulks will converge, perhaps in a long-awaited adaptation of the “World War Hulk” comic storyline, though for now, it remains a fan theory.
Fans can anticipate seeing Ruffalo reprise his role as the original Hulk in the upcoming film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, though his involvement in Avengers: Doomsday is still unconfirmed. Recently, Ruffalo was seen on the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day alongside Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, whose role remains a mystery.
This article was written by Tom Phillips, IGN’s News Editor.