Mark Ruffalo Confirmed As Ed Norton's Hulk Replacement

Mark Ruffalo in 13 Going on 30.
(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)

We’ve been talking about it for a couple of weeks and now it looks like Ruffalo as Hulk is confirmed. Deadline says Mark Ruffalo has signed a deal with Marvel to take over as the new Bruce Banner in Joss Whedon’s Avengers.

The big Marvel panel happens at Comic Con tomorrow so odds are they’ll make an official announcement then. But why go to Comic Con when you can sit home and read the press release? Yeah, I’d rather be at Comic Con.

So Norton’s out and Ruffalo is in. We’ve never thought that was a good fit here at Cinema Blend. Check out a few reasons why we weren’t elated about Ruffalo as Banner here. But Mark, whether he’s an exact fit for the character or not, is a talented actor. There’s probably nothing to worry about. Besides, odds are his screentime in The Avengers will be limited. Rumor has it that we’ll see a lot more of the Hulk (probably rendered in CGI) than we will puny Banner in the movie.

Avengers director Joss Whedon told our own Eric Eisenberg at a Comic Con party tonight that he’s rewritten the Avengers script and with Ruffalo on board as Hulk it sounds like they’re about to start pushing forward on Marvel’s team-up movie. Expect a lot more casting news very soon. We know who’s playing Hulk, Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man but there are minor roles, like Ant-Man, yet to be filled.

Josh Tyler