Hulk star Mark Ruffalo has said the Marvel Cinematic Universe had more "mystique" before the Disney+ streaming expansion, and also explained why he probably won't get a solo film.
Speaking to GQ, Ruffalo commented on the MCU's expansion into TV shows, which saw it balloon from 12 hours and 24 minutes in Phase 1 to 54 hours and 40 minutes in Phase 4.
"I think the expansion into streaming was really exciting, but the thing about Marvel movies is you had to wait three years and that created a mystique,” Ruffalo said. "These corrections could be really positive things," Ruffalo said. "Will it be what it was? I don’t know."
Practically every film and show connects to another part of the MCU, leaving some elements unclear or unfinished for those who struggle to keep up with every minute. Disney has similarly struggling to keep fans engaged recently, as latest release The Marvels had the MCU's worst box office performance so far despite positive reviews.
Bringing back original characters has been touted as one possible route back to success for the MCU, but Ruffalo thinks his character of Hulk, who last appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law but arrived in the second ever film, isn't a likely candidate.
"I’d love to do a standalone Hulk, I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen," he said. "It’s very expensive if you did a whole movie, which is why they use the Hulk so sparingly. I priced myself out."
The MCU will only see one film released in 2024: Deadpool & Wolverine, the film known as Deadpool 3 until recently. It premieres on July 26 with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman both returning as the titular characters.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
