Why Mark Ruffalo?

[Godzilla2000]

I do have to say that Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of Bruce Banner was pretty much an homage to Bill Bixby's lone wanderer in the T.V. series. I liked his performance overall, and that part in India with Black Widow where he snaps angrily at her always makes me jump.

[I'm Venom]

Mark Ruffalo did an excellent job as Banner and was up to the standard that Edward Norton created.

[Picard Sisko]

Originally Posted by natey2k4

And it's just opinion (yours) that Norton and Bana were better than Ruffalo...

Ruffalo is an incredible actor. Bana was solid but had nothing to work with. Norton did a solid job but didn't feel like Bruce Banner to me.

I'd rank them;
1. Ruffalo
2. Bana
3. Norton

Ruffalo made me interested in The Hulk again. Thank god.

I actually love Bill Bixby the most. A man always on the run.

I haven't really seen Ruffalo in anything other than chick flicks. I will research some of his movies, maybe try to get a better idea of his work.

[PSYLENTGuardian]

Ruffalo initially didn't strike me as Bruce Banner. Just by appearance, though. Norton had that Banner look as a supplement coupled with a good performance. I thought Ruffalo really nailed the mild-mannered aspect of Bruce.

[Lady Marion]

I was never a huge Hulk fan. I didn't like the Bana-Hulk/Banner at all, Norton was ok, his movie was entertaining and good. But I love the Ruffalo-Hulk. Ruffalo managed it that i feel sympathy with the character. He did an incredible job. IMO.

[Donnie Darko]

For me, the big issue with Bana was that I always picture Bana as a tough guy, not "puny Banner," so I feel like he should be kicking everyone's ass at all times, and that's the Hulk's job, not Banner's.

[Lady Marion]

Right, especially if you see him before as Hector in Troy.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Lady Marion

Right, especially if you see him before as Hector in Troy.

Or pretty much everything else he's in: Black Hawk Down, Star Trek, Munich etc.

[warcam]

Not to mention the fact he's damn near 6'3". Banner and Thor aren't supposed to be the same height

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by warcam

Not to mention the fact he's damn near 6'3". Banner and Thor aren't supposed to be the same height

Which is two inches shorter than Lou Ferrigno, who might have lost a bit of height in his old age anyway and might now be 6'3" instead of 6'5". You can't have a Banner who is practically the same height as the Hulk!

[ThatDamnNinja]

I've wanted Edward Norton to play Bruce Banner since I saw him Fight Club and American History X. He was the only choice as far I was concerned. I remember being pissed when they cast Eric Bana instead, and, after watching Hulk, thinking about how much better Edward Norton would've been. I squealed like a girl when Edward Norton was cast in The Incredible Hulk. I thought he did a great job. When I found out he was being dropped, I was pissed. When I found out they were replacing him with mellow nice guy Mark Ruffalo, I was even more pissed, and had no idea what the hell they were thinking.

Then I saw The Avengers. Mark Ruffalo is a better Bruce Banner than Edward Norton.

[Mace Dolex]

I've been thinking was Ruffalo Marvel's one and only choice after Norton or was there a long list of actors to play Bruce Banner?

[ThatDamnNinja]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

I've been thinking was Ruffalo Marvel's one and only choice after Norton or was there a long list of actors to play Bruce Banner?

I've noticed a pattern of the studios, with superhero movies, with all major casting choices, skimming recent Oscar winners and nominees as their first resort. Mark Ruffalo had just been nominated for The Kids Are Alright. I'm 99% sure that's why they approached him.

[warcam]

Originally Posted by ThatDamnNinja

I've noticed a pattern of the studios, with superhero movies, with all major casting choices, skimming recent Oscar winners and nominees as their first resort. Mark Ruffalo had just been nominated for The Kids Are Alright. I'm 99% sure that's why they approached him.

Actually, he didn't get nominated until AFTER he got the gig. He was announced in the summer of '10, and the nominations came out in Jan. '11.

[ThatDamnNinja]

Originally Posted by warcam

Actually, he didn't get nominated until AFTER he got the gig. He was announced in the summer of '10, and the nominations came out in Jan. '11.

Oh man. Silly me! Good thing I left that 1% possibility of being wrong.

In that case, I have to assume that they looked him because of the buzz he was getting for the role from Sundance.

[Brian Braddock]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

Yeah unfortunately that's just the way it is. But as I said before, if it was the other way around, and Norton was the one to play Banner in the Avengers, people would be praising him saying "he is the best one to date."

Ruffalo just does not feel like Bruce Banner at all.

As long as we're doing picture comparisons,



To me, Ruffalo resembles Bixby's Banner as much as Norton resembled comicbook Banner so in terms of physical representation there is a precedent. Avengers Banner looks like the Banner from a previous TV show as opposed to the comics (not an issue for me as Bixby was God - come to think of it you say you also love Bixby the most so I wouldve thought Ruffalo would have been right up your street, tbh ). All this 'I couldnt buy him as Banner as he didnt look like him' stuff that I read on occasion on these boards doesnt really hold water as far as I'm concerned.

Following on from that, in terms of performance I just dont get your critique of MR either as he absolutely nailed it. Yes, so did Norton (no arguement there) and both were excellent as the Banners they were playing but that's the key thing - the Banners they were playing were in very different places, emotionally.

He didnt feel like the character? He looked uninterested?

You're entitled to your opinion obviously but I'm scratching my head at it.

[Dark Raven]

I just wish Ruffalo had worn some plaid shirts in the Avengers, and maybe had his hair a little more styled like Bixby. Plus the glowing eyes during the transformation - that was a must!

[Brian Braddock]

Haha yes, a plaid shirt would have been great.

[tamron]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

I've been thinking was Ruffalo Marvel's one and only choice after Norton or was there a long list of actors to play Bruce Banner?

Downey pushed for Ruffalo having worked together in Zodiac. Marvel probably had him on the radar because of The Kids Are Alright, but I'd bet Downey's influence had some weight as well.

[Slushy]

Him being better than Norton or Bana is just opinion. Honestly, if Ruffalo was in the Incredible Hulk, and Norton was in the Avengers, I bet everyone would be talking about how much better Edward Norton was as the Hulk.

This! Don't let the bandwagoners fool you. Ruffalo was the pits.

[Ready4This]

the little hand twitch / glasses wipe thing started to annoy me.

[Radioactive1980]

Originally Posted by Dark Raven

I just wish Ruffalo had worn some plaid shirts in the Avengers, and maybe had his hair a little more styled like Bixby. Plus the glowing eyes during the transformation - that was a must!

Nah, the purple shirt was waaaaaay cooler.
After all he was playing Bruce Banner, not Bill Bixby's Bruce Banner.

[Brian Braddock]

Technically, that would be David Banner.

[Brian Braddock]

And anyways,we werent talking about characterisation (of course it isnt Bixby's Banner in the Avengers - I dont think anyones said that it was) we were talking visually - Ruffalo's Banner strikes a certain chord with some of us older folk who used to watch the TV show and worshipped Bixby. As I said - visually. He's certainly more Bixby than Norton in terms of appearance, and the plaid shirt thing was just a bit of a goof.

[warcam]

If he's going to wear the plaid shirt, he needs the bell bottom jeans to go with it