He Was Hulk, Then Hollywood Moved On: Inside Eric Bana’s Surprising Second Act

Eric Bana smashed his way into Hollywood as Hulk back in 2003, then quietly stepped off the superhero treadmill and never looked back. If you were waiting for a sequel or a nostalgic multiverse cameo, he has made it pretty clear: not happening. Here is the why, the what-he-did-instead, and what he is up to next.

The Hulk that stayed a one-off

Ang Lee's 'Hulk' (2003) got a mixed response, but everyone agreed Bana was excellent. A sequel was floated, then fizzled. Instead, Marvel restarted the whole thing with Edward Norton in 'The Incredible Hulk' (2008). Years later, Bana flat-out called his Hulk run a one-time film on Jake's Takes, and he has stuck to that line ever since.

On comic book comebacks and green screens

When Variety brought up superhero multiverse returns in 2021, Bana did not waffle.

'No.'

Pressed on whether that kind of thing interests him: 'Not a lot.'

He also told Vulture that the tech-heavy side of a movie like 'Hulk' left him cold, because the character doing the smashing is built later and he is stuck in a box delivering dialogue.

'There’s this other movie going on with green screen that I have nothing to do with, because that’s the Hulk... So in some ways it felt like a tiny movie... Lots of dialogue. I don’t like working indoors.'

Bruce Banner, he added, is a frustrating character to play. And on why he did not jump into 'The Incredible Hulk'? No regrets. As he told Marc Maron, he took a friend's advice:

'What’s the best possible thing that can come out of this if you say yes? And if the answer is you’re going to keep getting offered things that you don’t want to do, what’s the point?'

So where did he go? A lot of places

Bana split his time between Hollywood and Australia and kept things varied: Hector in 'Troy' alongside Brad Pitt; a key role in Steven Spielberg's 'Munich'; the villain in 'Star Trek'; rom-dramas like 'The Time Traveler's Wife'; Apatow's 'Funny People'; and voice work in 'Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers' and 'Memoir of a Snail'.

He also directed the car doc 'Love the Beast' (2009), a very personal project about his first car, a 1974 Ford XB Falcon Hardtop, featuring Jay Leno, Jeremy Clarkson, and Phil McGraw. The News Wheel later named it one of the best automotive documentaries (2015). Not exactly a surprise if you know Bana is a serious gearhead. As he once put it to Motor Trend: 'If I hadn’t become an actor, I’m pretty sure I would have become a race car driver or at least tried to make it.'

Recent screen work

Most recently, Bana played Kyle Turner in the crime drama 'Untamed' — a story about a federal agent heading into lawless territory after a woman's death. The show sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, has a second season on the way, and is streaming on Netflix.

How he picks jobs now

With decades in, Bana knows what he wants. No checklist. No chasing trends. He told Variety he simply picks the best script on his pile, regardless of size or location, and only says yes if he has fallen in love with it. If nothing fits, he waits. Leaner CV, happier actor.

He has also tried hard to avoid getting boxed in, and he has been vocal about how rarely Australian actors get to play Australian. He called the lack of Aussie representation 'frustrating' and 'ridiculous' and noted he did not get to use his own accent on screen for years — basically not since 'Funny People' — until 'The Dry'.

Next up: Apex

Bana is currently filming 'Apex', an action thriller from director Baltasar Kormakur and writer Jeremy Robbins. He stars with Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton. Netflix picked up distribution in February 2024, and production kicked off in Sydney earlier this year.

The setup: a grieving woman heads into the wilderness looking for peace and ends up in a deadly cat-and-mouse with a serial killer. The production is expected to create over 460 local jobs and pump about $56.5 million into the state economy. It is shooting exclusively in Sydney and Western Sydney. Release date: TBD.

What to watch: Bana since Hulk

If you want to catch up or fill in gaps, here is the run since 2003 with Rotten Tomatoes critic scores:

• 2004 - Troy - 53%
• 2005 - Munich - 79%
• 2007 - Lucky You - 28%
• 2007 - Romulus, My Father - 55%
• 2008 - The Other Boleyn Girl - 43%
• 2009 - Mary and Max - 96%
• 2009 - Love the Beast - 64%
• 2009 - Star Trek - 94%
• 2009 - The Time Traveler's Wife - 38%
• 2009 - Funny People - 69%
• 2011 - Hanna - 71%
• 2012 - Deadfall - 34%
• 2013 - Closed Circuit - 43%
• 2013 - Lone Survivor - 75%
• 2014 - Deliver Us From Evil - 29%
• 2016 - The Finest Hours - 64%
• 2016 - Special Correspondents - 16%
• 2016 - The Secret Scripture - 34%
• 2017 - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - 31%
• 2017 - The Forgiven - 55%
• 2021 - The Dry - 90%
• 2021 - Back to the Outback - 81%
• 2022 - Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers - 81%
• 2022 - Blueback - 71%
• 2024 - Force of Nature: The Dry 2 - 66%
• 2024 - A Sacrifice - 24%
• 2024 - Memoir of a Snail - 95%

If you are in the mood for a throwback, 'Hulk' is streaming on Netflix.