Mark Ruffalo is interested in an Marvel Cinematic Universe team-up with the Hulk and Wolverine. Ruffalo joined the MCU in 2012’s The Avengers and went on to appear in a total of five movies (six if you include the Iron Man 3 post-credits scene). Bruce Banner/the Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton in the MCU, but following pay disputes, Norton was replaced by Ruffalo. Fans have been largely pleased with Ruffalo’s performance and are interested to see where the character will go next within the MCU, if he’ll return at all. Last year’s Avengers: Endgame seemed to wrap up his arc after Bruce was able to balance his human self with the Hulk through a form known as Smart Hulk.
Endgame served as the end of the line for Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans), but the rest of the original Avengers are primed to appear at least once in Marvel’s Phase Four. This includes movies (Black Widow, Thor: Love and Thunder) and Disney+ shows (Hawkeye). One of the biggest questions on fans’ minds is if Ruffalo will appear as Smart Hulk in the expected She-Hulk show. Rumors about his involvement have been swirling for a while now, but nothing has been officially confirmed.
If Ruffalo does stick around in the MCU, he’s got some ideas about what Bruce can do. One thing he seems interested in is a team-up between the Hulk and Wolverine from X-Men (via Variety). Hugh Jackman brilliantly played Wolverine for seventeen years; Logan was his last appearance as the character. Now that Disney has bought Fox, the rights to the X-Men have returned to Marvel, and mutants are expected to join the MCU in the future. As a childhood X-Menfan, Ruffalo suggested, “Maybe Hulk and Wolverine could hook up.”
Marvel’s plans for the X-Men have yet to be revealed, so there’s a chance Wolverine won’t be among the characters brought into the MCU. However, seeing as he’s one of the most popular mutants, leaving him out could be considered a huge oversight. Fans have shared their thoughts on who could be cast as the MCU’s Wolverine, with Rocketman’s Taron Egerton becoming a popular pick. Seeing as an X-Men film wasn’t officially scheduled on Marvel’s upcoming slate, it will likely be a while before the mutants are added to the ever-growing universe.
Ruffalo’s MCU future might be uncertain at this moment, but he’s clearly still interested in playing the Hulk. Fans certainly want him to stick around however he can, though it’s unlikely that it’ll be in a solo Hulk movie. Of course, that could very well change further down the line. Until then, fans can imagine what Ruffalo’s Hulk and a new, revamped Wolverine would look like fighting side-by-side.
Source: Screenrant, by RACHEL LABONTE