It would seem the tide is shifting on Marvel‘s feelings about making a new, standalone Hulk movie. The character — one they’ve tried twice before to make into a viable standalone franchise — has perhaps never been more popular thanks to Mark Ruffalo‘s portrayal of the green monster in “The Avengers.” And while that led to a flurry of fanboys begging for a new Hulk movie, as of last year Ruffalo revealed that Marvel had “no plans” to make that happen. And even Marvel’s guru Joss Whedon said it’s “the most difficult Marvel property.” But the character is a popular one, stopping by recently (and randomly) in a World Cup ad for Nike, so perhaps Marvel is changing their stance regarding Bruce Banner?
It would appear so. Chatting with Digital Spy, Ruffalo revealed that Marvel are toying with the notion at least of giving Hulk his own movie. “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,” he said. “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.”
But the question isn’t whether Marvel will make another Hulk movie, it’s if this is a good idea to begin with. What made Hulk so effective in “The Avengers” was that he was served out in perfect portions. Every time he went green, it was a special occasion, one that Whedon utilized for maximum action and comedic value. The problem with giving Hulk a full length movie is that you dilute the effectiveness every time he gets mad enough to smash stuff. And while the character is interesting, let’s face it, no one wants to see a Hulk movie to witness his inner turmoil.
Audiences loved watching Hulk get into the mix and trade quips with Tony Stark, and again, because he wasn’t the focus of the story, the character (and Ruffalo) got the cream of the crop of Whedon’s writing. Plant the actor and character in a non-Whedon scripted or directed effort? We’re not sure the results would be as sharp. It’s the same reason why Quicksilver is so great in “X-Men: Days Of Future Past” — Bryan Singer and co. have a lot of fun with his abilities and attitude, putting the mutant as the centerpiece of one standout sequence, and then move on, likely knowing anything else just wouldn’t measure up or pack the same punch.
But what do you think? Is there a good, Ruffalo-led Hulk movie to be made? Let us know below.
