The second episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finally acknowledged the recasting of Hulk in the MCU from Edward Norton in 2008's The Incredible Hulk to current actor Mark Ruffalo by joking that the character is a "completely different person now literally" during a scene when they briefly discussed the events of the 2008 film.
A lot of fans were delighted by the meta-joke including Ruffalo himself, who mentioned in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the changing of actors throughout the years reminded him of the classic Shakespearean protagonist Hamlet, a role that has also been played by various actors.
"I think it's really funny. It's just the reality that we all are often dancing around, but it's true," Ruffalo said. "I actually joked with Ed about this. I was like, 'It's like our generation's Hamlet. Everyone's going to get a shot at it.' And there'll probably be another couple before it's all over. People will be like, 'Remember when the Hulk used to look like Mark Ruffalo? Now it looks like Timothée Chalamet.'"
While some may think that Ruffalo was kind of exaggerating by comparing the Marvel hero to a Shakespearean character, it is true that the character has been played by many actors for many decades whether it's Lou Ferrigno in the '70s television series, Eric Bana in the 2003 film directed by Ang Lee, Norton in the 2008 film, or Ruffalo in the current iteration.
The Oscar-nominated actor also expressed his excitement about the character's growth in the MCU throughout the years and how it kept him interested in playing the hero until now, which is also the tenth year of his tenure in the role.
"The cool thing about this world is that it could just be anything," Ruffalo said. "Five years from now it could totally morph into anything, whatever's pertinent at the time. I almost see him going back to 'Berserker Hulk' or 'World War Hulk'. It could go anywhere. That's the exciting part — I've played five different versions from beginning to now, and that's kept it interesting for me and I hope interesting for other people."
Based on his comments, it looks like Ruffalo is still having fun playing the role and wouldn't mind seeing it played by another actor if the time comes when he has to retire in the role and pass the baton to a younger actor. For now, his tenure in the MCU is still secured and also expected to still have a larger role in the future of the franchise.
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New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiere every Thursday on Disney+.
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