Avengers: Secret Wars Reportedly Ditching Mark Ruffalo’s Savage Hulk for a Pre-Endgame Version

Mark Ruffalo‘s Hulk has changed shape more times than almost any other MCU hero, and it sounds like Avengers: Secret Wars is rolling him back once again. Ever since Endgame merged Bruce Banner and the Hulk into Smart Hulk, fans have argued about whether the Russo brothers would undo that for the next two crossover events.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has already done that at this point. And much of the chatter has pointed to a full return of this Savage Hulk. However, a new report suggests that we might be getting a slightly different version. Cosmic Circus‘s Alex Perez was recently asked whether Savage Hulk carries over into Secret Wars, and his answer named one very specific pre-Endgame version of the character.

Marvel Reportedly Brings Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk from Thor: Ragnarok

When a fan asked whether the Russos will keep Savage Hulk for Avengers: Secret Wars, Alex Perez responded that we are going to get a very specific version of the Hulk for the movie. He shared, “Do you guys remember the Hulk we saw during Thor: Ragnarok? That’s the Hulk you’re going to get.”

That is a meaningful distinction. The Hulk from Thor: Ragnarok was still much closer to Savage Hulk than to the version we got after Endgame, but he was not a blank slate either. After two years as the Grandmaster’s champion on Sakaar, he had started to learn words.

He spoke in short, blunt sentences, insisted “Banner bad,” and told Thor exactly where he ranked in the friendship. He also connected with certain people. He warmed to Valkyrie, he responded to Thor, and Natasha’s recorded message was the thing that finally coaxed Banner back out.

Compare that to Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the Hulk barely made a sound, tore through Johannesburg under Wanda’s influence, and only calmed down for Natasha’s lullaby before flying off in the Quinjet.

So the Russos appear to be picking the sweet spot. This Hulk can still throw a building at Doctor Doom, but he can also take an order, hold a grudge, and land a joke. He is a wildcard in a fight without being a mute prop. Reports have already said that Ruffalo isn’t joining Avengers: Doomsday.

Eric Bana’s Hulk Return Is Still Not Confirmed

Eric Bana as Bruce Banner in Hulk (2003) | Credits: Universal Pictures

The second half of the question is the one that will disappoint some fans. When Perez was asked about Eric Bana‘s potential return as the raging monster, he said that he has not heard anything about Bana, who played the character in Ang Lee’s Hulk back in 2003.

That tracks with everything Bana himself has said. Speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Bana explained that he treated the role as a one-off, since sequels simply were not the expectation for superhero movies at the time. He also confirmed he was never approached to come back for 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.

Bana has been open about the fact that comic book films are not his thing. He said he has watched Edward Norton’s version but never Ruffalo’s, while still crediting Ruffalo as the actor who cracked the character and found his stride with it. None of that rules out a multiverse cameo still, and Marvel has pulled off bigger surprises.

Which Hulk do you want to see take on Doom? Let us know in the comments below.

Avengers: Secret Wars hits theatres on December 17, 2027.