UPDATE: Variety is reporting that multiple sources have clarified with the publication that Mark Ruffalo is not set to appear in Captain America: Brave New World. It is claimed that the actor misspoke when acknowledging the moderator's question at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and was reportedly intending to agree that the upcoming Captain America film was indeed one of Marvel's next projects, not that he was going to feature in it.
Longtime Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo confirmed that he will finally return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Bruce Banner in Captain America: Brave New World.
The actor commented on his next adventure as the big green superhero as part of a discussion with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. He says very little about what part he plays in the movie, simply confirming that “it’s going to be great.”
“They literally have a drone that follows me around,” Ruffalo joked, referencing Marvel’s secretive movie practices. “My phone, right now, is recording all of this.”
Details on the fourth mainline Captain America film are somewhat light, but we do know some of the major players who will appear. Most notably, of course, is Captain America himself, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), as well as Thaddeus Ross, who will now be played by Harrison Ford following the passing of William Hurt in 2022.
Thaddeus is an important character not only for Marvel fans but for Hulk fans, too. The character has a long history with Bruce Banner and, in many stories, eventually goes on to become the feared Red Hulk. With Ruffalo’s Hulk set to show up in some form, it may be a sign that his red opposite could be on the way, too. We’ll have a better idea of how the film will connect to the MCU when Marvel is eventually ready to share more.
Ruffalo has taken a small break from MCU movies for the last few years. While the actor has sporadically appeared in projects like She-Hulk and What If…?, his last Marvel role in film (outside of a brief Shang-Chi cameo) was back in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame. In the time since, the actor has taken on other non-superhero films, including I Know This Much Is True, The Adam Project, and more recently, Poor Things.
Captain America: Brave New World comes to theaters on February 14, 2025. In other Marvel news, the company released its first trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine yesterday.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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