Mark Ruffalo Reveals the Real Reason We Won't See a Hulk Solo Film

With Marvel Studios reportedly pulling back on their content throttle, there's a looming question of whether these "corrections," as Ruffalo diplomatically puts it, can restore the studio's former glory or if they're merely a bandage for a much deeper wound. Might these changes be the reason why Marvel is hesitant to give the Hulk his own solo outing?

2008's The Incredible Hulk, while achieving cult status over the years, has remained an outlier in a franchise where characters like Thor and Captain America have received multiple solo films. Ruffalo's desire to helm a standalone Hulk movie has always been apparent. Still, it's not lost on him the financial and logistical hurdles that such a project would entail.

"I'd love to do a standalone Hulk, I just don't think that's ever going to happen," Ruffalo admitted in the GQ interview. Expressing the harsh reality of giving the Hulk a solo film, Ruffalo continued, "It's very expensive if you did a whole movie, which is why they use the Hulk so sparingly. I priced myself out!"

Ruffalo's belief aside, it seems Marvel's decision against a standalone Hulk film might just be an excuse. The Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, focusing on Bruce Banner's cousin, cost up to $25 million per episode, totaling nearly $250 million for the entire season! To put this into perspective, that's the whole production budget for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

If Marvel had redirected its focus from She-Hulk, which wasn't exactly a hit among audiences, the Hulk could have had his own solo film. Among the original six founding Avengers, Hulk is the only character without a new dedicated project since. Ironically, he appears to be the runt of the litter, at least from Marvel's point of view.

Regardless, Ruffalo has built himself a respectable career outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a veteran of both indie darlings and blockbuster spectacles, Ruffalo can finally move on from the shackles of hoping for a standalone Hulk film to bigger creative ventures that might one day earn him an Academy Award.