It's easy to forget now, but The Incredible Hulk was right there alongside Iron Man in 2008 when the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched. The movie was neither a huge hit nor a massive flop, but given the tepid response to the reboot and behind-the-scenes issues with actor Edward Norton, it soon became the franchise's black sheep.
Rights issues also came into play, and it wasn't until 2022's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law that The Incredible Hulk was referenced in a meaningful way (this February's Captain America: Brave New World brought back The Leader, albeit to a mixed response).
After taking over the role from Norton in 2012's The Avengers, Ruffalo's Bruce Banner has become an MCU mainstay, appearing in that franchise and later everything from Thor: Ragnarok to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and next summer's Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
What we haven't had is a solo Hulk movie. It's no secret that complicated rights issues are in play, and Ruffalo once again commented on that in a fascinating career retrospective with GQ.
"I don’t know if you know the story of that, but it's not really owned by Marvel," the actor reiterated. "It's a Universal property. I don't know if it’ll ever really come to be, honestly. We keep talking about it, what it would be." If Universal Pictures has distribution rights, then Disney being reluctant to essentially produce a movie for the competition isn't a shock.
He added, "There's been so many Hulk movies already, it's like, does anyone really want another one? But I'd love one, and I do think the audiences would be into it if we could crack the nut of it."
World War Hulk, World War Hulks, and Hulk vs. Wolverine are just some of the projects rumoured to be on the horizon for Ruffalo, but Marvel Studios has yet to make anything official. We also don't know whether the MCU can even use "Hulk" in a movie's title.
When we last saw Bruce Banner, his arm had healed after the events of Avengers: Endgame. After helping train his cousin, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, the Green Goliath met his son, Skaar. Unfortunately, that character's brief introduction in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale didn't receive the warmest response from fans.
Asked recently what he likes about being part of a long-running superhero franchise, Ruffalo said, "Just having the continuity. As an actor, you're going from one extreme situation to the next. You make these tight-knit groups and then break apart, and rarely ever do you have the type of continuity."
"I never thought I would have a real, legit, steady job. [Being an Avenger] is my steady job," he continued. "Each movie you do is kind of a different universe, especially if you're working with different directors. What I love about Marvel is that they really do let the director create a whole other world. You go from The Avengers to Thor: Ragnarok. They're extremely different."
Check out the full interview with Ruffalo in the player below.