![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Mark-Ruffalo-2024-Actor-Oscars-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
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Credits: Mike Baker \/ \u00a9A.M.P.A.S.<\/p>\n
Sun 30 November 2025 8:30, UK <\/p>\n
Mark Ruffalo<\/a> is a bit of a dark horse. He doesn\u2019t immediately crop up in lists of the \u2018best actors\u2019 or \u2018actors with the best filmography\u2019, but when you look at the data, he\u2019s up there at the very top. He\u2019s in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Poor Things, Foxcatcher, Spotlight, Shutter Island, and more. He\u2019s rarely the main focus of these movies, but they\u2019d all be much worse off if he weren\u2019t a part of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n What Ruffalo is most known for, by far and away, is playing The Incredible Hulk. He\u2019s appeared as the big green rage machine and his alter ego Bruce Banner in eight different Marvel movies, mostly cropping up in post- or mid-credits easter eggs. He might be the only member of the original six Avengers to not get his own movie or miniseries, but he\u2019s still a key part of the franchise\u2019s ungodly success. Also, he\u2019s probably earned more money for those 30-second cameos that you make in a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ruffalo famously took over the role from Edward Norton, who fell out with Marvel<\/a> after playing the character in his pre-Avengers solo movie. It\u2019s hard to imagine Norton standing side-by-side with Iron Man or Captain America. Actually, it\u2019s hard to imagine anyone other than Ruffalo portraying this version of the comic book heavy hitter. However, in an interview with Vulture<\/a>, Avengers director Joss Whedon revealed that his star was desperate not to wear the purple shorts.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Mark every day for the first month of any shoot: \u2018It\u2019s not too late to recast. I know you have Joaquin Phoenix on speed dial. It\u2019s okay. I won\u2019t judge,\u2019\u201d the director said. In response to these claims, Ruffalo said, \u201cI did and he would\u2019ve been fucking great in the movie,\u201d to which Whedon replied, \u201cIt\u2019s only you, brother. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Phoenix was among the many names rumoured to step into Norton\u2019s shoes for the 2012 team-up bonanza, though no official reports on the matter have ever come out. David Duchovny was in the running to play the character in the solo movie, which would have been absolutely fascinating. As Whedon said, though, it really was always Ruffalo. He was Louis Leterrier\u2019s original choice for the role, so when the opportunity came around to recast the part, it was a no-brainer.\u00a0<\/p>\n