Although the fact that Mark Ruffalo will be playing Bruce Banner in The Avengers seems to have settled in nicely since the time of announcement, the replacing of Ed Norton was a big issue among many comic and movie fans alike at the time. The reports of Ruffalo's signing leading up to San Diego Comic-Con were finally confirmed on that very special day, during that very special Marvel Studios presentation in Hall H, in front of 6000 screaming fans.

No one can deny Ruffalo's talent or likability and we can rest assured that he will bring justice to the role and serve the team-mentality of The Avengers project, both onscreen and behind-the-scenes. While summer blockbusters aren't the typical gig Ruffalo goes for, he explained recently why it is he decided to accept the offer to join Earth's Mightiest.

In an interview with the Sunday Herald-Sun this weekend, Ruffalo stated how if this were a few years ago, he probably would not have signed on to Joss Whedon's ambitious film - Perhaps that's why Whedon was "stunned" to have landed Ruffalo. He's known for his indie work, with a few studio films sprinkled in between, so what made him accept the spotlight and high-profile role in The Avengers? We know it's not the payday considering how Marvel is lowballing all of their contracts to control costs.

“I probably wouldn’t have done this movie in the past... But because of what Robert [Downey Jr] had done and where that genre has gone since then, I did it”.

There you have it. Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man not only changed the game for fans and the comic book movie genre, but it changed it from the industry's perspective as well. They can make serious bank at the box office, win fans and critics over, all while telling a solid and entertaining story.

Playing on green screen sets with a group of stars is something Ruffalo will need to get used to, especially a project that will rely heavily on special effects done in post-production.

“I have always tried to stay ahead of being stereotyped and the more I felt you could f— with people’s expectations of you, the longer a career you have. I consider myself a blue collar actor that way. What I do really enjoy is that rhythm and style and family and I like that kind of nomadic existence”.

This makes me wonder about what kind of contact he signed for the role. Most, if not all, Marvel Studios contracts involve multi-picture deals so they can control costs while expanding the franchise with sequels and spinoffs. Did Ruffalo sign on for sequels to The Avengers or a possible lead role in The Incredible Hulk 2 (as unlikely as that may be to come to fruition)? I would expect they have him locked up for sequels to The Avengers which could mean Ruffalo will be taking part in several more big-budget studio films to come.

If you're curious about Ruffalo's knowledge of Hulk, he was a fan of The Incredible Hulk TV show. And if you're  fan of Ruffalo, The Hulk or The Avengers, be sure to check out our previous post where Mark Ruffalo discusses taking over the Hulk role from Ed Norton.

Share your thoughts in the comments and with us on Twitter @rob_keyes and @screenrant.

The Avengers begins shooting in February for a May 4, 2012 release.

Source: Sunday Herald-Sun