Parasite was on HBO's radar to become a TV series before its Oscar wins. Now, on the heels of its historic night at the Academy Awards, word has surfaced that the television series is looking to add an MCU star. Mark Ruffalo could be joining the series in the near future, presumably as one of its leads.
It's hard to say exactly what Mark Ruffalo would add to the equation, mainly because details are so scant on Parasite. The HBO original is believed to run for 5 or 6 episodes, and is based on the movie written by Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won. Collider reports both sides are interested in making a deal happen, but nothing official has been negotiated as of yet.
Mark Ruffalo would be a solid choice for HBO and Parasite given his Hollywood career. Beyond his various appearances as Bruce Banner in the world of Marvel, Ruffalo is a three-time Oscar nominee. That's not an accomplishment any actor gets by luck, and now he's potentially going to star in the buzzworthy follow-up to the latest Best Picture winner.
While it's currently unclear what Mark Ruffalo would do if he joined Parasite, Bong Joon-ho did tease some of what the miniseries could be about. The Oscar-winning director revealed that he had more stories to tell from the movie's core plot, such as why the first housekeeper's face was messed up. His goal is to use this series to create a "six-hour-long film," and his previous comments suggest this limited series could expand the lore of the movie.
Another possibility is that HBO's Parasite could open up another story entirely with only some loose attachments to the core from the movie. At the moment it's hard to see how the American Ruffalo would play a character that meshes with the all-Asian cast, though there are ways that would make narrative sense. Perhaps Ruffalo could play an American teacher at the university that kept getting mentioned, or play an American businessman Mr. Park interacted with?
If there's one thing that can be said with certainty, it's that HBO has been knocking it out of the park with its miniseries selections. Parasite is the latest addition to HBO's lineup, and fresh off the heels of critically acclaimed shows like Watchmen and Chernobyl. If HBO keeps things up, audiences may look forward for its shorter shows rather than long-running ones.
Parasite is still in development, but will eventually arrive on HBO. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on its progress, and for a look ahead at all things happening in television and movies. For some viewing options during the wait for Parasite to make it to the small screen, check out our 2020 winter and spring premiere schedule.
