It's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massively popular film franchise that is currently dominating the box office. The influence of The Avengers can be seen all over pop culture, and now it looks like that'll actually expand to the stars themselves. Not movie stars like Chris Evan, but the literal ones above us.
NASA recently discovered new constellations, and was tasked with naming these new astronomical discoveries. One of constellations was actually named after popular Marvel character The Incredible Hulk, who has been adapted for TV and film a handful of times. Mark Ruffalo plays the MCU's version of Bruce Banner, and hilariously responded to this news, saying:
Mark Ruffalo might be one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's worst stars when it comes to spoilers, but the 50 year old actor does have a good sense of humor. Besides, a constellation name is another way to make sure that the big Green Guy remains one of the top Avengers of all time.
Mark Ruffalo's hilarious tweet comes after CNET revealed a slew of new NASA names, many of which comes from Marvel or other forms of nerd culture. This new constellation was simply named "Hulk", as the stars can be connected to make out the form of the behemoth character. There were also new discoveries named after Godzilla, Thor's hammer Mjolnir, and even Doctor Who's TARDIS.
Of course, the timing of Ruffalo's joke couldn't be better, considering what films are currently showing. Bradley Cooper's directorial debut A Star Is Born is currently in theaters, with pop star Lady Gaga in the titular role. The movie has Oscar buzz, and has also gone viral with countless memes. Mark Ruffalo's social media game is usually hot fire, and this tweet is no exception.
As far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe goes, it's currently unclear how both Bruce Banner and Hulk will function in terms of the current apocalyptic narrative. Bruce Banner was one of the lucky heroes to survive Thanos' finger snap of death, alongside the rest of the OG Avengers. So Mark Ruffalo will get another movie to show his stuff, as will Banner.
Hulk only briefly appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, after getting a beat down from Thanos in the film's opening sequence. He refused to come out for the Battle in Wakanda, forcing Bruce Banner to take on the Hulkbuster armor and get into the fray himself. Fans are eager to see him face off against the Mad Titan again, hopefully with a better outcome.
We'll get to see Hulk and Banner when Avengers 4 arrives in theaters on May 3rd, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
