Mark Ruffalo is an Academy Award-nominated actor who has earned a sweet sideline playing an adored superhero. The dude's living the dream, but not all of them. So when his friend and Brothers Bloom director Rian Johnson got plucked to helm Star Wars: Episode VIII, Ruffalo was quick to write a note of congrats and pleading. When it comes to joining the adventure set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Ruffalo ain't too proud to beg.
Speaking with Collider, Mark Ruffalo was blunt about his desire to score a role in Star Wars: Episode VIII. After admitting he "desperately," wants to be in the movie, he recounted how he told Rian Johnson:
My e-mail to Rian after all these years was, 'Rian, congratulations on everything you’ve been doing. And by the way, if there’s a part in Star Wars, please, anything, please consider considering me to join you.'"
A personal note to Rian Johnson, you might want to just make this happen. Something tells me you wouldn't like Ruffalo when he's angry.
When Disney bought the Star Wars property, fans of the franchise were initially dubious. Because of the company's broad commercial appeal, some feared producers would not pick imaginative filmmakers, but rather hired guns who would try to recreate the magic of the original three films. After much speculation, Disney announced that J.J. Abrams would resurrect the franchise with Star Wars: Episode VII, which seemed a smart move since he'd successfully done as much for Star Trek. But the latest crop of space sagas earned some indie cred when Brick writer-director Rian Johnson was chosen to tackle Star Wars: Episode VIII.
As Johnson has had Joseph Gordon Levitt appear in each of his films so far, some have suggested his Looper star might be looped into the Star Wars series. While this has only been a matter of speculation, it's more intriguing to imagine Brothers Bloom's Ruffalo thrown into an ensemble that could include Star Wars: Episode VII cast members Harrison Ford, Gwendoline Christie, Domnhall Gleeson, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow. But even Ruffalo realizes that there may be obstacles.
He'd essentially lost touch with Johnson, and is happy to report they've reconnected. But even if this refostered friendship does inspire some Star Wars casting, Ruffalo has a potentially packed schedule with his various Marvel obligations. Recently wrapped was Joss Whedon's The Avengers: Age of Ultron, but unknown is whether or not The Hulk will pop up in Captain America 3, Iron Man 4 or perhaps even a movie of his own.
Still Ruffalo is clear he'd be happy to even have a minor role, or voice a CGI character. Hell, he's had experience with motion capture. He explains, "I am thrilled about motion capture. It’s been a journey for me to get there. After this last Avengers and the work we’re doing with that, and the advancement of the technology even since the first Avengers, I’m so excited about where we can go with motion capture. I hope that I’m on the front line of this kind of new frontier of creativity and performance that is completely boundless. Definitely be interested in doing something like that for Star Wars."
Here's hoping Disney--which owns The Hulk and Star Wars--can work something out.
