Most in film and comic book circles knew The Avengers was Marvel’s test-run to see how Mark Ruffalo’s take on The Hulk would do with audiences. Following the mess that was Ang Lee’s take on the character in 2003’s Hulk and Marvel’s re-acquisition of his rights and subsequent release of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton (Birdman) in the lead, it appeared that the character finally found a home in Marvel Studios’ plans for its Hollywood takeover. However, Norton didn’t reprise the role in 2012’s The Avengers, leaving Marvel to find the third Bruce Banner in as many films within a decade. Thankfully, Joss Whedon’s take on the character was spot-on to his comic characterization, and The Hulk was a hit among audiences. Still, plans for a solo Hulk film were never made despite the green giant’s popularity.
During an interview with Digital Spy, Ruffalo discussed the possibility of a standalone Hulk film:
I think they are, for the first time, entertaining the idea of it. When we did The Avengers it was basically ‘No!’, and now there is some consideration for it […] But there’s still nothing definitive, not even a skeletal version of what it would be. I look forward to going down that road, if we could crack that nut.
As a fan of Norton’s take on Bruce Banner, I was heartbroken when I found out he wasn’t returning to the character for The Avengers. However, Ruffalo’s portrayal of the character was a huge surprise that definitely went over way better than most fans were expecting. 2008’s The Incredible Hulk proved that, in the right hands, The Hulk can be portrayed properly on the big screen. For now, it’s only a matter of time before we see Hulk smash things on his own.
[via Digital Spy]