Eric Bana Has No Interest In Returning To Hulk Movie Role

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Eric Bana Has No Interest In Returning To Hulk Movie Role

Eric Bana has dashed any hopes of seeing some Multiverse Hulk action, saying he never considered reprising the role of Bruce Banner from 2003.

Eric Bana says he has no interest in reprising his role as Bruce Banner from 2003's Hulk in the MCU. The Ang Lee directed film came out years before the advent of superhero franchises that have become an industry staple over the last decade. Hulk premiered to decent critical reception, but many pointed out that the film aimed for dramatics more than the Hulk-smashing many had hoped to see. Still, the film went on to gross over $245 million at the box office, a paltry take for superhero films in this era, but a decent enough one more than a decade-and-a-half ago.

It took a few tries for Marvel to eventually get Hulk right, with Edward Norton's 2008 film The Incredible Hulk technically apart of the MCU. It wasn't until Mark Ruffalo's debut as the green giant in 2012's The Avengers that things finally took off for Hulk. Still, Ruffalo has never gotten his due in a solo feature, leaving Hulk's potential in the MCU partially untapped. With the franchise introducing the Multiverse and bringing back Tim Roth's Abomination from the 2008 film for She-Hulk, the door is potentially open for multiple Hulks to make an appearance in the Marvel franchise.

Unfortunately, Bana has revealed that he's not interested in coming back as the the brilliant scientist Bruce Banner. In an interview with Jake's Takes, Bana says that he never imagined that superhero films would become what they are today. When he took on the role of Hulk in 2003, Bana saw it as a one-and-done role with no possibility of returning. As to whether or not he would reprise the role in the MCU, the actor says that he just can't see himself doing that after all this time.

No, I just, when I went and did that film, that was kind of like pre-Marvel universe. I mean, that universe didn’t even really exist. It always felt like a one-time film for me. That world where you go off and do a movie and there are going to be sequels, that framework didn’t even exist back then. So I guess the short answer is no. I never felt like it was something I was going to reprise or do again and after all this time, I can’t see that happening.

It remains unclear what the MCU's plans are for the Multiverse. Speculation has swirled for months about the potential introduction of the world-breaking concept into the franchise, with many fans assuming that it would first happen in WandaVision ahead of the Doctor Strange sequel. While the groundwork may have been laid in that series, Marvel seems to be saving the reveal for a bigger event, quite possibly Spider-Man: No Way Home. All signs point to some type of Multiverse upheaval in that film - Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx are reprising their villainous roles from their respective Spider-Man franchises and many think this could mean that Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield could also be returning.

Similar speculation has surrounded Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, namely due to its title, but also because of the inclusion of Scarlet Witch and America Chavez in the film. How the MCU ultimately ends up introducing the Multiverse will be revealed in due time, but it's clear that something huge is on the way. That something just won't be Bana's green giant and his 2003 film Hulk will merely be a reminder of what could have been.