Mark Ruffalo talks about the possibility of a solo Hulk film....and how unlikely it will be to include the storyline from "Planet Hulk."
Recently, Mark Ruffalo revealed that Disney and Marvel Studios are reconsidering the box office viability of a solo film for everyone’s favorite not-so-jolly green giant. This should come as no surprise since the Hulk was one of the many highlights in 2012’s The Avengers. Likewise, we suspect that Ruffalo and writer/director Joss Whedon have some fun ideas in store for Dr. Bruce Banner in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
So, when Ruffalo sat down with MTVto discuss his new film Begin Again, the subject of a Hulk movie invariably came up, and a “Planet Hulk” movie in particular.
“’Planet Hulk?’ I don’t think that is the way to go yet,” Ruffalo said. “I think you need more Banner [‘Planet Hulk’] is just him as Hulk, on a planet, fighting other gladiators.”
“Planet Hulk” is a Marvel fan favorite about the character, however Ruffalo has a point about how it would sideline him as an actor for perhaps too long. For those who are unclear of the details, Ruffalo also gives an amusing summation of the story during his interview.
“They launch Bruce Banner into space to try to get rid of him and the Hulk. He ends up freaking out, smashing up the spaceship, and it goes off course and ends up on this planet of gladiator creatures. He falls in love, has a Hulk baby … and then the Avengers nuke the planet.”
Couldn’t have said it better.
Avengers: Age of Ultron will definitely feature Hulk appearing on this planet when it releases on May 1, 2015. Read all of our Avengers: Age of Ultron coverage here.
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Haven't read the comic, but even I can outline the screenplay with nonHulked-out Banner recouping in a cage between gladiorial bouts, falling in love with an alien princess/bounty hunter, aliens needing his science brain to free enslaved gladiators, etc. Come on, Hollywood: aren't you used to bastardizing the canon of the comics?
I agree with his logic to a point. But we've had two and a half films that played up the Jeckyll & Hyde struggle in the character and neither of them were huge successes (although The Incredible Hulk was an improvement, and Avengers better still but the angle was relatively minor to the story.) I'm not convinced the Banner character is what people want to see. Since Planet Hulk is all about the Hulk being the Hulk, why not just go for it? It would almost certainly play well with fans as well as the moviegoing audience in general. And if you insist on promoting the Banner role, do it with flashbacks. Plenty of material to mine that would compliment the film and satisfy the need (if one exists) to put a human face on the character.