Mark Ruffalo Talks About the Wild Way He Learned He Got the Role of The Hulk in the MCU
Actor Mark Ruffalo began his career in small roles in the 90s, which led to him being given more leading man parts in romantic comedies like View From the Top, 13 Going on 30, and Just Like Heaven. He was also in several offbeat dramas that garnered him a lot of notice, including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Collateral, and Zodiac.
On the heels of Ruffalo’s first Academy Award nomination for his role in the 2010 drama The Kids Are All Right, the actor was approached by Marvel to possibly take over the role of Bruce Banner aka The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was just a couple of years after Iron Man was released, and the Marvel machine was in full swing, heading toward the implementation of The Avengers, changing superhero movies forever. But Ruffalo was uncertain about taking the mainstream role, especially in the wake of Edward Norton being excused from the role. But in the two weeks between his firing and the San Diego Comic-Con panel which would introduce Ruffalo as the new Hulk, executives were anxious to get the deal finalized. It was all very cloak and dagger in the actor’s eyes though.
In the book, "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios," by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, Ruffalo explained that when he was first approached, he read the pages of the script that Avengers director Joss Whedon sent him, then he called Norton to get his blessing. He said the two joked that the Hulk was their generation’s Hamlet, and eventually everyone would play the character.
Marvel and Ruffalo’s reps negotiated his contract right down to the wire, and the night before the unforgettable Comic-Con panel, Ruffalo got a call from his agent, that said:
"Look out your window at 5 o'clock in the morning. If there is a car there, you got the part. If there's not, just go back to bed."
The next morning, Ruffalo followed directions, and he woke up to find a limousine waiting outside his house. The book says Ruffalo stumbled into it, and went to the airport to catch a plane to San Diego. Ruffalo says, "I was happy. And I was scared to death." Later that day at Comic-Con, Robert Downey Jr. made a surprise cameo to announce new MCU additions Joss Whedon, Jeremy Renner, and Ruffalo.
The actor has gone on to perfectly embody the Hulk through all of his story arcs and changes in the MCU, and has also had a successful film and TV career aside from Marvel, earning two more Oscar nominations, as well as two Emmy wins, and one Golden Globe win aside from several nominations.
Mark Ruffalo is set to reappear as Bruce Banner/Hulk in Avengers: Secret Wars, due out in 2027. He is also in post-production in the upcoming sci-fi drama Mickey 17, from director Bong Joon Ho (Parasite), in which he will star alongside Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, and Naomi Ackie. The film’s plot is under wraps, and it is set to be released on March 29, 2024.