Mark Ruffalo Expresses Desire to Play Wolverine Over Hulk in MCU

Mark Ruffalo, known for his role as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has expressed a long-standing admiration for Wolverine and revealed he would have chosen to play Wolverine if not the Hulk. He has pitched a Hulk vs. Wolverine storyline to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, a concept rooted in Marvel Comics history, where Wolverine first appeared as an opponent of the Hulk. Despite this enthusiasm, rights to the Hulk remain with Universal Pictures, complicating solo film prospects, while Marvel has primarily featured Hulk in ensemble movies. Ruffalo is confirmed to return as Hulk in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, though Wolverine and X-Men projects remain in early development stages. Ruffalo also aligns ideologically with Captain America in the MCU and has emphasized the sense of family and continuity his Marvel role provides. Fans continue to speculate about the future integration of Wolverine into the MCU following Disney's acquisition of Fox's Marvel characters, which made the X-Men available for the shared universe.