Mark Ruffalo is one of Hollywood’s most wholesome actors, apart from Keanu Reeves. The 54-year-old actor started his career in the 90s when he made his mark with a worthwhile performance in Kenneth Lonergan’s play This Is Our Youth. He then went on to star in romantic comedies like 13 Going on 30 and Just Like Heaven.
But it was his debut as Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that launched him into stardom. Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bruce Banner is funny, friendly, wholesome, and in scenes where the enemies attack- strong as hell. Leaving all that behind, let’s not forget how hilarious his introduction as The Hulk was back at the introduction of the Avengers cast in 2010.
Mark Ruffalo Forgives Robert Downey Jr. For Reprisal Joke
What’s a friend for if they never pull your leg? Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most well-known actors in the world, and he’s also friends with the new generation’s Hulk, Mark Ruffalo.
The two play Iron Man and Hulk in the movie where they’re put into team Avengers. Apart from that, they’re also very good friends in real life, and they have been for longer than you might have thought.
Their friendship dates back to 2006-07 when David Fincher’s mystery murder thriller Zodiac was being made. The two star in the movie, but as Ruffalo said during a Reddit AMA, they’ve known each other even before the filming of Zodiac, and Downey Jr. is like a big brother that he wished he had.
The stars aligned a few years later when Ruffalo was cast to play the Hulk in the MCU’s The Avengers, which Downey Jr. was already a part of as Iron Man. Funnily enough, during Ruffalo’s introduction as Hulk at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2010, his dear friend would mess around with his intro.
While introducing Ruffalo as Hulk at SDCC 2010, Downey Jr. went-
“Reprising the role of Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo!”
For the unversed, this is a dig at Ruffalo replacing Edward Norton as Hulk. The joke here is that people were expecting Norton, but instead got Ruffalo!
Years later, Ruffalo would address Downey Jr.’s joke in an interview with BBC Radio 1. When asked whether he ever forgave his friend for that joke, Ruffalo replied while laughing-
“Yes of course.”
There are plenty of actors who have been friends for a long period of time, and Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo’s friendship seems to be standing strong even today.
How Mark Ruffalo Found Out That He Got The Role Of Hulk
Mark Ruffalo is pretty high up in the hierarchy of actors loved by fans of the MCU right now, and that won’t change anytime soon. The actor has portrayed Bruce Banner for over a decade, and he’s rightfully earned his spot by putting in one good performance after the other.
The Begin Again star replaced Edward Norton as The Hulk after the latter had to leave due to “disputes” with Marvel. Leaving that behind, Ruffalo revealed how he got to know that he had been cast as The Hulk, and it’s almost like a movie scene.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Ruffalo talked about how his agent gave him a confirmation that he is the new Bruce Banner-
“I got a call from my agent a night before saying, ‘Listen, look out your window at 5 o’clock in the morning. If there is a car there, you got the part. The car was there!”
It’s like those scenes in detective movies where hints are given out to the protagonist by the murderer, a theme which Ruffalo must be pretty familiar with after starring in Zodiac.
Source: YouTube
