Mark Ruffalo is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Bruce Banner but before him, there was Edward Norton, and, before him, there was Eric Bana. The Australian actor starred as the theoretical physicist with wicked anger issues in Universal Picture’s 2003 film “Hulk.” Critics disliked it, audiences despised it, and now Bana’s rocking a life-long distaste for superhero projects. During a 2023 interview with Yahoo, he denied any interest in returning to Marvel. “I think my body of work since then speaks to the answer to that question,” he said when asked about a possible reprisal.
While Bana never expressed explicit disinterest in DC, he openly admitted that the superhero genre isn’t his style. In 2021, he told Entertainment Weekly as much, saying, “It just wasn’t the type of film that I saw myself doing. I approached [‘Hulk’] as a one-off … It’s why I [haven’t] re-dabbled in that area. They’re not the kind of movie that I race out and see myself so that conversation is something I have with myself if I want to be a part of it.” That same year, during an in-depth interview with Vulture, he again expressed how daunting massive superhero franchises could be due to the immense commitment they demand.
If Bana selects his projects based on whether or not he’d watch them himself, then his personal preferences veer toward action flicks, dramas, and thrillers. And sure, the superhero genre touches base with those categories — arguably, Robert Pattinson’s “The Batman” is all three — but spandex and splashy special effects tend to steal the spotlight. Plus, film contracts involving superhero roles tend to be multi-movie deals. Sorry BossLogic, this one will probably have to stay a fan casting.
