There seem to be two main tracks of thought running through every review of THE AVENGERS that I read – 1) it’s a very well done, fun, and all around awesome experience, and 2) Mark Ruffalo/The Hulk steals the show.
Which I’m pleasantly skeptical about as I thought Ed Norton was truly fantastic, but I’m definitely willing to be surprised. And while President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige is of the opinion that a solo Hulk adventure isn’t necessarily in the cards right now, it was also recently reported that Marvel’s marketing department disagrees.
But no matter what anyone says, Ruffalo has revealed that he signed a six-picture deal with Marvel just like every one of the other main heroes (Downey Jr. possibly excluded). Which could of course be Marvel just covering its bases in case the character was a smash success (which he is), or it could be a plan to use the Hulk as the glue that binds the other stories together via extended cameos in everyone else’s solo adventures while his main focus is on any sequels to THE AVENGERS.
Or a mix of both. Or something else. There’s no way to say for sure what the plan is, but the point is that Ruffalo’s deal is there and well allows for at least one or two solo stories. Only time (and some serious fan demand) will tell if he’ll get them.