Highlights
- Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. joked about struggling with the complex scientific jargon in their roles as superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Despite the challenges, both actors expressed their appreciation for their experience in the MCU and the success of the Avengers films.
- The Avengers franchise is considered the peak of the superhero genre and has achieved tremendous box office success.
Beloved Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo called B.S. on an aspect of his work as the MCU's Hulk while chatting with his friend and co-star, Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr.
Ruffalo and Downey Jr. first appeared together in David Fincher's Zodiac before teaming up with the other Avengers in Marvel Studios' legendary hit franchise. In the MCU, both actors portray superheroes who are also super-smart science nerds, with Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk working as a theoretical physicist and Downey's Tony Stark being an industrialist inventor.
However, in a conversation for Variety, both actors expressed that playing an on-screen expert comes with challenges. Downey recalled, "In the Marvel days, everything might change, or we’re talking to a tennis ball. You and I, the science bros, we would’ve had these long passages about absolute gobbledygook..." Ruffalo laughed, adding, "...Bullshit." The two actors joked about their ignorance regarding the complex ramblings of their MCU characters. Ruffalo continued, "We didn’t know what that was, what that meant." According to Downey, the actors had difficulty digging into their Avengers roles and memorizing lines due to the elaborate jargon. "Still, it’s important to us because we know it’s important to the characters," Downey acknowledged.
Despite their struggles with verbose scientific monologues, the actors expressed appreciation for their MCU experience, with Downey reminiscing fondly about the chaos of playing Iron Man. "This whole decade-and-a-half Marvel run where we were just looking at each other like, 'God, we’re really lucky. What are we doing? Who’s a wizard? Who’s coming from outer space?'" Ruffalo admitted that he was insecure about the studio's decision to cast him in such a prominent action-hero role since, at the time, he was mostly known for smaller indie films like The Kids Are Alright. However, the Hulk actor credited Downey for encouraging his confidence. "I’ll never forget, I was like, 'I don’t know if I’m right for this.' And you’re like, 'Come on, Ruffalo, we got this,'" Ruffalo said. Even Christopher Nolan complimented The Avengers casting, claiming that the decision to cast Downey Jr. as Iron Man was "one of the greatest of all time."
Looking back at Marvel Studios' now-declining empire, many consider The Avengers films the peak for the studio and the entire genre. All four Avengers movies rank in the top five highest-grossing superhero films, with Avengers: Endgame currently sitting as the second highest-grossing film of all time, just barely under James Cameron's Avatar with nearly $3 billion in earnings. While the chances of Downey or Ruffalo returning to the Avengers franchise may be slim, it's still funny to think that while The Hulk and Iron Man were battling Thanos, Ruffalo and Downey Jr. were fighting their own battle with the script's scientific vernacular. The two actors certainly gave it their all to deliver what may be the most significant superhero saga of all time.
The Avengers films are currently streaming on Disney Plus.
The Avengers
The Avengers is a group of comic book characters consisting of some of the world's most iconic superheroes, such as The Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.The Avengers have been a powerful force in Hollywood for over a decade, collectively and individually. The group has also starred in video games, such as LEGO Marvel’s Avengers and Marvel's Avengers by Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix.
Source: Variety
