Most Marvel fans consider Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk one of the OG Avengers, but the actor still worries he doesn’t belong in the MCU.
Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk are arguably the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s core Avengers…or they were, until Avengers: Endgame happened and started a new era for the superhero team. Of the original members, Thor and the Hulk are the only ones left, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be the ones calling the shots once Phase 4 is over.
According to Bruce Banner/the Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, though, he’s always been waiting for someone at Marvel to realize he doesn’t belong there ever since he first showed up in 2012’s The Avengers. In an interview with Variety, he admitted that, even after all of these years, he still can’t quite believe he’s a part of this.
"Every time I’m whining like, ‘God damn, how long are we waiting for the set up?’ I’m like, ‘Hey, remember you’re not even supposed to be here.’ Right. I just remember to be grateful because I still can’t believe it. I still keep thinking, ‘They’re going to throw me out of the club. I never belonged here in the first place and they’re all going to find out.’"
The actor also said that he never saw himself playing such an iconic character in a big franchise this. “We had this little theater and that was my dream come true,” he said, thinking back on his early years in the business. “We were doing, like, 10 plays a year on Santa Monica Boulevard. I was bartending, but as shitty as the day could be, when I walked in the theater, I was in heaven. It’s when I met Sunrise and she was like, ‘I think you might be shooting a little bit low. I think you can probably expand what you think you’re capable of.'”
If nothing else, Ruffalo’s response — and continued imposter syndrome — highlight that even the most talented, well-known creatives have their doubts about their abilities.
That said, it’s probably safe to say fans would be Hulk levels of angry if Marvel Studios decided to boot Ruffalo out of the MCU before he gets his own solo film, or at least a proper send-off and passing of the baton. (Ahem, he’d better show up in the She-Hulk series…)
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