Hulk rumors dispelled by Ruffalo and Whedon

Since "The Avengers" (2012) premiered in April last year (and even before), rumors have surfaced about the possibility of a new "Hulk" movie. Joss Whedon, the director of the movie, and Mark Ruffalo, the actor who portrayed the Hulk in his most recent incarnation, have both denied the rumors.

Much of the speculation has been caused by the fact that Ruffalo has signed a contract with Marvel for six pictures. Whether or not he'll get his own standalone film is up for debate. Most observers seem to think he'll be a supporting cast member in movies like "Thor 2" and "Captain America 2."

When asked about the possibility of doing a good Hulk movie in an interview during the Glasgow Film festival, Whedon said, "it would be very, very hard. Hulk is ... tricky. He’s the Claudio of superheroes. Because the problem is, it’s a very popular character, but it’s not a superhero. Half of it’s a superhero, half of it’s a werewolf. And you can’t structure it like a superhero movie, you can’t light it like a superhero movie. How do you develop that?

"It would be extremely difficult. The one thing you would have in your favour would be Mark Ruffalo. But right now I don’t know if they have plans to do that or not, because he works so well as part of a greater whole, but by himself, it’s tough. I don’t envy the guys who went before."

The Hulk franchise has seen modern reboots twice before, in 2003 and 2008 films, and was a popular TV show in the 1970s. The 2003 film, starring Eric Bana, received mixed critical reviews, and decent box office success. The 2008 film starring Edward Norton, did better critically and commercially. Multiple cast members from the 2008 film stated that they would be willing to reprise their roles in the event of a sequel.

For now, both Ruffalo and Whedon have confirmed that the Hulk character won't be returning to the silver screen until "The Avengers 2," and that a standalone Hulk movie is not currently in the works. Ruffalo tweeted, "A lot of folks have been asking about the Next Hulk. The next time you see my Hulk it will be in the Avengers2. No plans for stand alone." In another tweet he said tantalizingly, "One never knows what the future will bring."