At the end of 2021, Marvel Studios will likely blow the door open on the MCU's multiverse with Tom Holland's Spider-Man: No Way Home as he teams up with Doctor Stephen Strange. The film is confirmed to bring in numerous characters from past Sony-produced Spider-Man movies like Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx's Electro with rumors of more heroes and villains on the way, too.
These castings bring the possibility that other past Marvel characters could find themselves in the MCU, although the Spider-Man franchise is the only one represented at the moment. 20th Century Fox, Sony, and Universal all have their own catalog of heroes ripe for the picking such as the X-Men with Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as well as Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider.
However, one former Marvel actor doesn't appear to be going down this path according to new quotes.
NO MCU FOR ERIC BANA
Hulk star Eric Bana appeared on Jake's Takes' YouTube channel to discuss the potential of his Bruce Banner joining the MCU thanks to the power of the multiverse.
When asked if he would join an MCU movie with Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, Bana pretty simply said "the short answer is no."
Commenting on how the "framework didn’t even exist back then" for superhero movie sequels and franchises, Bana never imagined it to be "something [he] was going to reprise" in the future:
“No, I just... When I went and did that film, that was kind of like pre-Marvel universe, right? That universe didn’t even really exist. So it always just felt like a one-time film for me. You know, it was that world of, you go off and do a movie and there are going to be sequels, and you’re going to be doing forever... 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 I still feel, after all this time I most definitely, yeah, I can’t see that happening.”
ONLY ONE HULK FOR THE MCU
Eric Bana's Hulk from 2003 came in the early days of the modern superhero era, now largely seen as a box office flop after earning only $245.4 million globally. Director Ang Lee did what he could with the technology of the time for the CGI, but there were numerous other on-screen issues that didn't sit well with fans.
Regardless of that film's success, it seems that Bana has firmly put the days of playing the Marvel scientist behind him. His quotes indicate that he saw his time on the set of Hulk as a one-time experience, and the likelihood is that his movie will remain firmly in the days of superhero movie history.
As for the Hulk within the MCU, Mark Ruffalo's next confirmed outing is in 2022's She-Hulk alongside Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters. This will be the first solo story in the Hulk's world since 2008's The Incredible Hulk, and fans are already looking forward to seeing how Marvel Studios adds to this lore.
