Since his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans have been waiting for Mark Ruffalo to get his solo movie. But according to the Poor Things actor, it is too expensive to take that on. It seems as if a Hulk movie might be a bit of a pipe dream.
In a recent interview with GQ, Ruffalo talked about the future of Marvel and how streaming has played a part in the audience reaction to it. “I think the expansion into streaming was really exciting, but the thing about Marvel movies is you had to wait three years and that created a mystique,” Ruffalo said. “These corrections could be really positive things. Will it be what it was? I don’t know.”
But Ruffalo went on to talk about the potential of a Hulk movie all his own. “I’d love to do a standalone Hulk, I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” Ruffalo said. “It’s very expensive if you did a whole movie, which is why they use the Hulk so sparingly. I priced myself out!” So why not make a movie about Bruce Banner instead? Show Ruffalo’s ability as an actor!
What I loved about his interview is that they went on to talk about how a “serious actor” questioned whether it was wise for Ruffalo to be in superhero movies, saying directors wouldn’t want to work with him. Clearly, that is not a problem, since Ruffalo just got nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Poor Things, where he worked with Yorgos Lanthimos.
And the director that this “serious actor” said would not work with Ruffalo? That would be Venom’s biggest fan, Paul Thomas Anderson—which gave me a perfect idea as to who should direct a solo Hulk movie …
Let Paul Thomas Anderson tell Bruce Banner’s story
Personally, I want to find out who this “serious actor” is who really does not know Paul Thomas Anderson, because that man loves superhero movies. He would not discount an actor because of that. After all, he cast Bradley Cooper well after Cooper was cast as Rocket Raccoon!
But let’s stop and think about how a Bruce Banner/Hulk movie would work. If the CGI budget for the Hulk would pose an issue, why not have Bruce struggling with his Hulk persona in the same way he did during Avengers: Infinity War? After She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Bruce had the ability to be both Banner and the Hulk again, so we could have a movie where he’s mainly Bruce to cut back on the financial burden.
And by letting PTA direct it, you would not only have a style we’ve not yet seen in the MCU, but it would also stick it to that “serious actor,” and I’d love to see it—mainly because I am exhausted by the idea that Marvel movies are not for serious actors when multiple Oscar nominees and winners have been part of this franchise.
So my pitch is simply to let Bruce Banner have his time. And PTA would just be the icing on that cake.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
