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Credit: MarvelRecently, there’s been plenty of buzz surrounding the once-mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has taken somewhat of a stumble since the conclusion of its critically acclaimed Infinity Saga in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Most notable, however, are rumors of the original six Avengers returning in some capacity for the Multiverse Saga, which could see the comeback of Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, among others. Now, the Hulk actor might’ve just hinted that there’s a grain of truth to this speculation while offering an extremely cryptic update on his future in the superhero franchise.
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From its string of box office bombs to its ongoing Jonathan Majors debacle, there’s no denying that 2023 has been a tough year for Marvel Studios. On top of audiences’ growing sense of “superhero fatigue,” the sheer amount of MCU content that’s made its way to Disney+ and theaters worldwide has, in Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger’s words, “diluted focus,” with many putting the franchise on blast for placing quantity over quality.
President Kevin Feige, in a desperate attempt to remedy the studio’s growing laundry list of issues, allegedly held a “retreat” with Marvel execs to propose solutions to the MCU’s box office woes, with there supposedly being talks of replacing Kang the Conqueror as the next Thanos-level threat, according to a report published by Variety. Talks of resurrecting Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) for some sort of Multiversal team-up were also rumored to have taken place, though it seems like some MCU alums aren’t exactly on board with the whole thing — at least, we think.
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When The View co-hosts asked Chris Evans about rumors of his return to Marvel as Steve Rogers/Captain America, the actor revealed that “no one’s spoken” to him yet and that it’s “a very precious role” to him, so the project “would have to be just right.” As for Robert Downey Jr., Feige told Vanity Fair that the Iron Man actor’s final bow in Avengers: Endgame is a moment that Marvel won’t “touch,” signaling the end of his MCU journey.
While the door is certainly open for franchise veterans to come back for more Marvel movies and TV shows, especially given the limitless nature of the Multiverse, some returns seem more likely than others — notably, Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk/Bruce Banner.
Although the soft-spoken scientist-turned-superhero is the only member of the original six Avengers not to receive a solo film of his own due to some truly head-scratching distribution rights — well, depending on whether or not Edward Norton’s The Incredible Hulk (2008) counts — he’s still an invaluable member of the team and one of the few OG heroes to have a future beyond the Infinity Saga.
With Natasha, Tony, and presumably, Steve dead, and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) handing over the bow and arrow to Kate Bishop (Hailey Steinfeld) in the Disney+ Hawkeye miniseries, this leaves only two surviving Avengers: Bruce and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The Asgardian God of Thunder has already established his post-Infinity Saga presence, having starred in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) as part of the MCU’s Phase Four. As for the Green Goliath, he made an appearance in the ill-fated She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series as the cousin of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany).
She-Hulk might’ve not been, well, a smash hit with audiences, but it did introduce an exciting plot line for Bruce moving forward. In the series’ final moments, it’s revealed that Bruce has a son named Skaar (Wil Deusner), who has some lengthy Marvel comic lore detailing his unusual bloodline. With his introduction now being MCU canon, Skaar’s cameo could set up his role in the Young Avengers. However, it’s hard to say which direction Marvel will take with the character and whether or not he’ll replace his father in the franchise entirely, as is the case for many of the original Avengers.
Meanwhile, Marvel Entertainment has finally been given back distribution rights to The Hulk after their deal with Universal Studios ended earlier this year. Now that the MCU has control over the character again, many have speculated that a solo Hulk outing is in the works. However, it seems like Mark Ruffalo is as in the dark on the matter as fans are, recently addressing the rumors during the red carpet premiere of his latest movie, Poor Things (2023).
Speaking with ComicBook.com, the actor was asked if he’d heard about plans for a Hulk movie, to which he played unusually coy. Ruffalo admitted that the idea “could be really cool” but that he’s specifically been asked “not to comment on it,” meaning Disney and Marvel could have something in the pipeline:
I’ve been asked not to comment on it, that specifically. Hopefully one day though they’ll work it out. I think it could be really cool and I’ve been putting a lot into what it could be to be cool, but I don’t know yet.
Check out the full clip (via @ComicBook on X) below:
We asked Mark Ruffalo about a stand-alone Hulk movie for the MCU, and he told us he’s specifically “been asked not to comment on it” lol
We asked Mark Ruffalo about a stand-alone Hulk movie for the MCU, and he told us he’s specifically “been asked not to comment on it” lol pic.twitter.com/YzNDeGSHGc
— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) December 7, 2023
It’s important to note that Marvel has a history of upholding the utmost secrecy when it comes to their buzzier releases, with MCU actors — unless they’re Tom Holland, of course — often refusing to spill any information whatsoever as to avoid spoilers. Given just how cryptic Ruffalo’s answer was, his comments imply that Marvel does indeed have something up their sleeve and wants to keep things hush-hush until they’re ready to announce it.
There’s also the possibility that Marvel isn’t moving forward with a stand-alone Hulk project and, rather, is merely setting up his role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026) or Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Given how enthusiastic Rufflo seems to be about reprising his role as the Jade Giant after well over a decade in the MCU, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him play a vital role in the Multiverse Saga, especially as he grapples with the deaths of Tony and Natasha, all while stepping into his new title as a father.
After being relegated to a supporting player in the Avengers movies and, more recently, She-Hulk, it would be refreshing to see the Hulk take center stage in a project of his own. Considering that he’s always been one of Marvel’s more interesting characters, there are plenty of exciting directions the franchise could take him in next, like another buddy-comedy adventure with Thor or maybe even leading the Time Variance Authority’s Multiversal Army against Kang — as long as Mark Ruffalo is open to the opportunity.
Do you think a new Hulk solo movie is long overdue, or should a different hero get the spotlight? Let us know in the comments below.