Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk May Be Sitting Out Avengers: Doomsday for This Surprising Reason

Some MCU rumors are practically hardwired into the internet at this point, but this one’s legit: Mark Ruffalo is not suiting up as the Hulk in Avengers: Doomsday. Depending on who you ask, that’s either Marvel playing the long game or another weird turn in Hulk’s pretty bumpy MCU run. Here’s what’s actually going on, as clear as I can make it.

Why Isn’t Ruffalo Showing Up in Doomsday?

Let’s cut to the chase: Mark Ruffalo himself confirmed (in an interview with Empire, chatting alongside Chris Hemsworth while promoting their crime movie Crime 101), that he’s sitting this one out. That’s not nothing, because Marvel actors are basically trained to lie about this stuff, but Ruffalo has a pretty bad poker face anyway. He said:

'As long as they keep finding cool things to do with Hulk. It’s given me so many gifts. You know, I probably wouldn’t be in Crime 101 if it wasn’t for [The Avengers].'

So, he’ll play Hulk whenever Marvel gives him something interesting to do, but this time? No dice.

Is Marvel Actually Planning Something—Or Just Delaying?

According to some pretty plugged-in fans (and I know, fan theories are a dime a dozen), there’s a theory going around that Spider-Man: Brand New Day—Tom Holland’s next outing—will tee up a new status quo for Hulk. The idea is that whatever Bruce Banner goes through in Brand New Day will make it awkward or basically impossible for him to regroup with the Avengers right away.

One user on X put it like this:

'I think Brand New Day is going to leave Hulk in a place where it wouldn’t make sense for him to team up with the Avengers right away.'

It’s worth noting: Hulk’s last proper appearance was all the way back in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Since then, he’s mostly been a CGI cameo machine, which doesn’t exactly help with the 'they’ve wasted Hulk' accusations.

What’s Coming in Avengers: Doomsday?

In case you need a who’s-who refresher, here’s the roster for Doomsday:

• Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo (yes, the same Russo brothers who steered Infinity War and Endgame)
• Writers: Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely
• Main cast: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd… the list goes on
• Release date: December 18, 2026
• Produced by Marvel Studios, distributed by Disney

Basically, it’s a stacked lineup—just, apparently, no green rage monster.

The Hulk Problem (And the Fan Response)

Fans are, predictably, split. Some are demanding a return to angry, smash-everything Hulk for upcoming projects like Avengers: Secret Wars. Others think Marvel’s already fumbled the character so badly it doesn’t matter. Here’s a taste of what people are saying:

'They’ve been nerfing Hulk for years. He doesn’t need to come back until they fix him.' — TechOdyssey

'Marvel fumbled the bag by turning him into a polite green professor with zero menace.' — The Mad Titan

'They haven’t found anything cool for the Hulk since Avengers.' — Joel Squire

Some are still hoping he makes it back into Secret Wars, but as of now? No confirmation there either.

The Bottom Line

The short version: Don’t expect to see Ruffalo’s Hulk in Doomsday, and honestly, there’s a good chance he might stay on the sidelines a lot longer—unless Marvel finds a way to actually make fans care again. It’s the MCU, though, so never say never. Plans change, NDAs expire, and sometimes Marvel just changes the script because it feels like it.

Avengers: Doomsday lands December 18, 2026. Set your reminders, and don’t hold your breath for Hulk.