Mark Ruffalo Reiterates Solo ‘Hulk’ Movies Still Under Universal’s Purview Despite Interest/Talks: “It’s Not Really Owned By Marvel”

Every couple of years, there is some rumored update concerning the status of a new solo “Hulk” movie being cooked up at Marvel Studios, only for those rumblings to never be backed up by the folks over at Disney/Marvel. And according to Bruce Banner actor Mark Ruffalo (“Task“), Universal Pictures hasn’t exited the picture as those rumors have suggested, and they still have ownership.

Ruffalo, not exactly known for being able to keep Marvel secrets, revealed during a recent chat with GQ Magazine that, despite talks with Marvel about what a future “Hulk” movie could look like, Universal is ultimately still a factor and potential roadblock.

“Yeah, I’d love to have a solo Hulk movie. I don’t know if you know the whole story about that. But it’s not really owned by Marvel. 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…But, I’d love one and I do think that the audiences would be into it if we could crack the nut of it,” Ruffalo said of the possibility of a new solo “Hulk” movie might not be in the cards.

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Universal not only still has its mitts on Hulk, but likely have a controlling interest in a Namor solo movie with the never-made “The Sub-Mariner” (former professional diver and action star Jason Statham had once circled the part) that character might also be relegated to supporting roles just like Banner (Tenoch Huerta playing Marvel’s first mutant in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and was announced for the lineup for the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday“).

Maybe a way to go is another version of the cosmic storylines Planet Hulk/World War Hulk (“Thor: Ragnarok” took a couple of elements from those comics) and a team-up movie (“Agents of S.M.A.S.H.” was a cartoon that featured Bruce alongside She-Hulk, Red Hulk, and A-Bomb, most members already established in the MCU). However, it doesn’t sound like the previous solo movie ideas cooked up by Marvel have been all that attractive to Universal.

What we do know is that Ruffalo will be playing Bruce once again in”Spider-Man: Brand New Day“ and was spotted on the set over the weekend, and he’ll be one of a few MCU characters crossing over in the Sony-released superhero pic directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, as Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher is also part of the roster, too (coming after Charlie Cox showed up as Matt Murdock in “Spider-Man: No Way Home“).

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Anyway, fans might have to hold their breath about a solo Hulk movie coming anytime soon. You can watch that full exchange between Ruffalo and GQ below.