I think I can safely say by this point that Mark Ruffalo is pretty much capable of anything. The man has been nominated for a current total of three Academy Awards, recently won his first Emmy, and, as far as I am concerned, is the first actor to give us a big screen version of The Incredible Hulk worth giving much of a damn about. Thus, I am quite thankful that his tenure with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not expired just yet.
Considering the debilitating effect that wearing the Infinity Gauntlet to reverse the Decimation had on Bruce Banner, even in permanent Hulk-mode, Avengers: Endgame seemed like the 53-year-old Wisconsin native’s way of officially bidding his days of saving the world adieu. While It is true that no big screen MCU installments can be seen on Mark Ruffalo’s resume of forthcoming projects, there is at least one comic book-related title that we can expect to see him in. I only say “at least one comic book-related title” because there could be another Marvelous appearance of his that we simply do not have confirmation of at the moment.
Of course, anyone who considers themselves a bigger fan of the actor who plays the Hulk than the bulky, green Avenger himself is more than likely curious about what else Mark Ruffalo has in store in the realm of entertainment. Well, to be honest, it seems that, much like a few of his other MCU co-stars, this hero is concentrating more on taking a well-deserved rest because the amount of upcoming credits in his resume is a slimmer number than actors of his stature normally would by this point. Nonetheless, we are committed to telling you everything we know about each of them, and we'll take a look back at what he been up to more recently.
What If…? (2021)
There are many familiar faces (or voices) from the MCU (including Michael B. Jordan or Karen Gillan, to name a few) who are slated to lend their voices to What If…? - an animated anthology series that takes a cue from the Marvel comic of the same name and imagines alternate versions of key storylines from within the franchise’s continuity. Mark Ruffalo will also reprise his role as the Hulk, but we can only imagine how his story will be reinterpreted for the show, which drops exclusively on Disney+ sometime in 2021. Maybe we will catch a glimpse of his life on Sakaar before Thor’s arrival, or a reality in which Bruce Banner never became his radioactive alter ego, or even something related to another upcoming series that I will mention soon.
The Adam Project (TBA)
Mark Ruffalo has been known to work with his Marvel movie co-stars on other projects, such as with Robert Downey Jr. and Jake Gyllenhaal in Zodiac or with Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and John Slattery in Spotlight years later. That tradition will continue when Guardians of the Galaxy actress Zoe Saldana and Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds (OK, I know I’m technically cheating there, but still), will share the screen with him in The Adam Project. Free Guy helmer Shawn Levy is directing the Netflix exclusive time travel thriller, in which Reynolds seeks help from his 13-year-old self, and Ruffalo will play his father, along with his 13 Going on 30 co-star Jennifer Garner and Get Out’s Catherine Keener joining the cast, as well.
Newsflash (TBA)
In addition to his upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe reunion, Mark Ruffalo will also be sharing the screen with a DC Extended Universe star in the unspecified future on a film that is likely bound to get plenty of awards attention. He will play CBS news producer Don Hewitt alongside Wonder Woman’s Chris Pine as Walter Cronkite in Newsflash - a historical, behind-the-scenes account of the famed reporter’s legendary announcement of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963. The biopic, which had originally cast Seth Rogen in the Cronkite role, will be directed by Halloween Kills helmer David Gordon Green from a script by newcomer Ben Jacoby and is currently in pre-production.
She-Hulk? (TBA)
Still in development more than a year after it was first announced at the D23 expo in 2019 is She-Hulk - a series profiling lawyer Jennifer Walters’ adventures as Marvel’s other green, hulking crimefighter. Despite previous reports of Tatiana Maslany playing the lead, the Disney+ exclusive series has yet to the cast the title role, who became a superhero after receiving an emergency blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner. So far, the human side of The Incredible Hulk’s connection to the main character and a particularly enthusiastic tweet from the actor are all the evidence we have to suggest that Mark Ruffalo will make an appearance on the show, but there is no risk in hoping, right?
Recent Mark Ruffalo Projects
Needless to say, the Marvel movies have taken up a great chunk of Mark Ruffalo’s time in the last few years, with his return to the character of Bruce Banner in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok kicking off a steady, unrelenting stream of MCU installments (including Avengers: Infinity War and an uncredited appearance in Captain Marvel) that ended with Avengers: Endgame in 2019. That same year, however, he did a 180 playing real-life defense attorney Rob Billot in Dark Waters - director Todd Haynes’ adaptation of the New York Times article about Billot’s war against DuPont’s environmental practices. He received rave reviews for that biopic, but it was his dual role in the HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True - as a man trying to get his schizophrenic twin brother released from an asylum - that earned him his Emmy in 2020.
What do you think? Should we be anticipating the moment that Bruce Banner (likely in “Professor Hulk” mode) will make his official cameo in She-Hulk, or do you think we should be more worried about who is playing Jennifer Walters for the moment? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on Mark Ruffalo, as well as even more inside looks into future projects from your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.
