Troy's Eric Bana, star of the 2003 film Hulk, shares his thoughts on whether or not he would reprise his portrayal of Bruce Banner for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse.
When Bana was asked if he would reprise Hulk should a multiverse open in the MCU -- letting several iterations of Marvel characters come on-screen -- by Jake’s Takes, he replied, "When I went and did that film, that was, kind of like, pre-Marvel Universe, right? That universe didn't even really exist. So, it always just felt like a one-time film for me."
The actor added, "I guess the short answer is no. I never felt like it was something I was going to reprise or do again and… I can’t see that happening."
Jake’s Takes host Jake Hamilton cited a current MCU rumor around Spider-Man: No Way Home as an example of how Bana could return to reprise his role as Hulk in the MCU. The upcoming Spider-Man film is rumored to be bringing back several iterations of Spider-Man to the big screen through a tear in the fabric of the multiverse, including Andrew Garfield. In addition, the host brought up Micheal Keaton's return to portray Batman, after the actor cast doubts that he would reprise his role as Batman for the upcoming DC film The Flash.
In 2003, Bana became the first actor to portray Bruce Banner/the Hulk on the big screen with a widely distributed release. Previously, the Marvel character had only shown up made for television movies throughout the 70s and early 90s. Hulk was directed by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon director Ang Lee. The story centered on the origin of the Hulk -- due to the lab accident involving gamma radiation and the ensuing chase from military general Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Sam Elliot) and Bruce's estranged father (Nick Nolte). The Ang Lee-directed superhero flick received mixed reviews at the time but has received retroactive praise for Lee's artistic approach to a superhero narrative.
Since Hulk, the superhero role has been played by Edward Norton in 2008's The Incredible Hulk -- the second film in the MCU. However, the MCU role would then iconically go to Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers. Ruffalo is next slated to reprise his role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk for the upcoming Disney+ shows What If…? and She-Hulk.
Source: YouTube