In a recent interview on the Fifi, Fev & Nick For Breakfast podcast, actor Eric Bana expressed his disinterest in reprising his role as Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Bana, who portrayed the iconic character in the 2003 film 'Hulk,' made it clear that he doesn't see himself returning to the role anytime soon.
With the success of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' which saw the return of both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's versions of the web-slinger alongside Tom Holland's current iteration, the idea of multiverse crossovers has become quite popular. The film grossed nearly $1.9 billion at the box office and received rave reviews from both critics and fans. However, Bana doesn't seem interested in joining the trend.
Despite the potential market for uniting different versions of superheroes on the big screen, it seems unlikely that Bana's Hulk will have a similar opportunity. The standalone Hulk films have not performed as well for Marvel over the years. Bana's 'Hulk' only made $260 million worldwide, while Edward Norton's turn in 'The Incredible Hulk' fared slightly better with $265 million in global box office sales.
The possibility of seeing Bana, Norton, and Mark Ruffalo's versions of the Hulk team up in the MCU, as seen in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' may not come to fruition. While the idea of bringing all three Hulks together is intriguing, there might not be enough interest in the character to justify such a crossover.
Bana's decision to distance himself from his portrayal of the Hulk is understandable. The 2003 film, directed by Ang Lee, received mixed reviews from critics and faced heavy criticism from fans. Despite a 63% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie only managed a dismal 29% audience score.
Given the lukewarm reception of his previous Hulk film and the lack of interest in reviving the character, it seems unlikely that Eric Bana will be turning green and smashing his way back into the MCU anytime soon. Fans of the Hulk will have to follow Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of the character in future Marvel projects.
