As we all know by now, Mark Ruffalo will become Bruce Banner/Hulk in Marvel’s The Avengers. He will be replacing Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk). Here’s an interview with the actor, after he was introduced at his first ever Comic-Con adventure.
What was it like appearing en masse at Comic-Con last weekend and being introduced to 6,500 screaming comic book fans?
It was very exciting — and I realized I had some pretty big shoes to fill. Those were my heroes up there! I was a comic book fan growing up. I loved The Hulk and The Avengers — it’s just strange to be entering that world as an actor. I never would have imagined that before.
You had never been to Comic-Con before?
No, I had not. I was very, very nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. That’s as close you’re going to get to being a rock star as an actor. The fans — they have very strong feelings toward their comic book heroes.
You’ll be playing Bruce Banner, The Hulk’s human alter ego. What are your thoughts on the character?
He’s a guy struggling with two sides of himself — the dark and the light — and everything he does in his life is filtered through issues of control. I grew up on the Bill Bixby TV series, which I thought was a really nuanced and real human way to look at The Hulk. I like that the part has those qualities.
Did you have any trepidation taking the role, given the very public way Marvel split with Edward Norton?
I’m a friend of Ed’s, and yeah, that wasn’t a great way for all that to go down. But the way I see it is that Ed has bequeathed this part to me. I look at it as my generation’s Hamlet.
When do you start shooting?
Sometime in the winter. I’m not sure.
Mark Ruffalo is a class act. Like I stated before, he’s one of the best actors in Hollywood for quite some time now. He’s by far, one of the most underrated. I have no doubt that he will give us a great Bruce Banner; even if it’s just little screen time, or a lot.
What do you guys think of Ruffalo?
