Continuity is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's many strong suits. Out of hundreds of named characters, all but a handful have been played by the same actor. Such consistency - despite plot holes, time jumps and major shifts in tone - has helped the transition from story-to-story feel pretty seamless...so seamless that it's easy to forget Mark Ruffalo hasn't always been the Hulk. The acclaimed actor is such a perfect fit for the character, it's a shame the MCU hasn't given us a truly Hulk-centric storyline to date. However, that might change with the announcement of Disney+'s She-Hulk and Ruffalo's rumored involvement.
Though the equally-esteemed Edward Norton received decent reviews for his portrayal of the titular character in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, he and Marvel parted ways before 2012's The Avengers began production. Ruffalo was recast just in time to play the Hulk in The Avengers, and in every installment thereafter. When people think Hulk, they think of Mark Ruffalo, and for good reason.
Ruffalo is a wholly unselfconscious actor with impressive range who adds instant credibility to any project, and so it was with the MCU. His version of both the awkwardly intellectual Bruce Banner and the tortured green giant turned out to be exactly what the franchise needed to balance out its roster. Where the other feature-length depictions of the Hulk (Ang Lee's curious 2003 attempt included), were dour and too concerned with family dynamics, Ruffalo's take is dynamic and, ironically, light-footed for a comic book character who weighs approximately 1,400 pounds. He's as capable of action as he is contemplation, and humor as he is frustration and despair. Ruffalo also plays extremely well with others, as is obvious in films like Thor: Ragnarok. But only that film and last year's Avengers: Endgame come close to utilizing Ruffalo's (and his on-screen avatar's) full power.
Good casting is a huge part of Marvel's success, and it would've been impossible to pull off The Avengers saga if the company hadn't absolutely nailed the roles of Iron Man and Captain America with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, respectively. But each of those actors got three solo chapters, as did Chris Hemsworth's Thor, even as Marvel struggled to find the right wavelength for that character. With Black Widow set to premiere later this spring, and a Hawkeye Disney+ series on the way, it seems absurd that Ruffalo is the lone actor left without a solo project. One could easily make the case that he's the most consistent and reliable actor of the bunch.
If it's not Ruffalo's acting or the character's popularity (neither of which are in dispute) that's the holdup, then what is it? Well, even with Disney's acquisition of Fox, Marvel still doesn't have rights to the character. An agreement with Universal allows the Hulk to appear as part of an ensemble in films but prohibits standalone movies, and that's not expected to change anytime soon. Still - or perhaps especially because of that fact - Ruffalo could've played a more prominent role in the Avengers films. Instead, he was shuffled into B-plots that were never fully realized. Ruffalo has indicated to press over the years that he not only enjoys playing Hulk but that he has ideas about how the character should develop, especially as they pertain to Professor Hulk. However, that chapter was, unfortunately, left out of the larger story the MCU told on the big screen.
But it might make its way to the small screen. The same legal agreement that prevents a Hulk film appears not to apply, at least not the same way, to television. Ruffalo has revealed that he's in preliminary talks to join the cast of She-Hulk. However, he's also suggested that he only -wants to play the character in any iteration -- Bruce Banner, The Hulk, Professor Hulk -- as long as there's still plenty of conflict and drama. After all these years in the MCU, it seems Ruffalo and his angry counterpart might finally be a little sick of side quests.
Disney is yet to confirm any real information about the series, like casting news or expected release dates. But if Ruffalo does reprise his role, fans will be wonder how Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters will cross paths. It's possible they will be related to each other like in the comics, but maybe Banner will act as a sort of mentor to the new hero.
Ruffalo has suggested that he'd like to see Bruce Banner on the run, in a plot arc having to do with surveillance. If something akin to that gets woven into She-Hulk, one could see the Hulk functioning as a human/mutant McGuffin, which is a trick Marvel has pulled before. They could make it work this time, though, by giving the character an urgent want, something Marvel scripts so far have failed to do for Banner, with the exception of some warm, fuzzy feelings for Natasha. Even more surprising would be events that pit the Hulk against She-Hulk, in which neither character was a pure hero or villain. Either way, the Hulk needs a storyline full of dramatic tension that's his from start to finish. No matter how they use him, fans can only hope that the Hulk, and Mark Ruffalo by extension, are no longer so criminally underused.