Superhero movies are everywhere, with a number of shared universes currently vying for box office supremacy. That includes the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Plenty of actors have gotten ripped to play superheroes, with a number of MCU movies having gratuitous shirtless scenes for the leading men. A number of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have bore it all, and Robert Downey Jr. gave Mark Ruffalo unique credit for his shirtless Avengers scene.
RDJ and Ruffalo recently reunited for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, and shared some stories about their time in the MCU. MCU spent years watching the Marvel movies in order, so this reunion is sure to quickly go viral. It sounds like the 13 Going on 30 actor put in work to go shirtless in The Avengers, although he wasn’t pleased about it. As Downey shared:
I just want to say this, too, because knowing you forever, on one of these Avengers movies, you take off your shirt, and you were in really good shape. And the director was like, ‘We got it.’ You’re like, ‘Oh, can I please stop dieting and working out now?’ There is no one I’ve ever come across who is more anxious to not be vain past the point where it is necessary to achieve an end for their work.
Celebrities: they really are just like us. Because while fitness is a healthy choice for one’s body, sometimes you really just don’t want to do it. And it looks like Ruffalo was ready to take his foot off the gas after filming his shirtless scene.
Robert Downey Jr.’s comments help to show what it was like to film the Avengers movies, and the fun that happened behind the scenes of the blockbusters. The cast of The Avengers developed strong bonds from this decade or so of working together, including plenty of funny moments that the public hasn’t been made aware of.
Of course, Ruffalo is far from the only Marvel star to get into shape for his role. Chris Pratt made a huge transformation for his role as Star-Lord, and Paul Rudd also got ripped ahead of his Ant-Man shirtless scene. But while Brie Larson is always sharing workouts and sharing how feeling fit helps her performance as Captain Marvel, the same cannot be said for the Hulk actor.
Fans are super curious about Mark Ruffalo’s standing in the MCU and are hoping to see him return in an upcoming Marvel movie like the two upcoming Avengers flicks. While he had a role in She-Hulk and the Shang-Chi credits scene, it’s unclear how he’ll factor into the shared universe as a whole.
The next Marvel movie hitting theaters will be Shawn Levy’s Deadpool 3 on July 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
