Did Marvel fire a top MCU star? The actor is speaking up about it!
The build for Avengers: Doomsday is continuing with the talk on just which MCU stars haven’t been signed on. Notably absent is Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk. That’s led to speculation that the actor may have been fired by Disney due to some of his outspoken political comments.
Talking to The News Movement on Instagram to promote his new film Crime 101 (which co-stars fellow Marvel star Chris Hemsworth), Ruffalo was asked about the rumors of his “firing” and appeared to laugh it off.
"Not that I know of. People keep going like, 'Did you get fired?' Not that I know of! It's nonsense. I'll be there as long as they'll have me, but I have a good relationship with them. Who knows, there might be things I'm already doing... [Laughs] I'm around, let me just say that."
Hemsworth added that “we would protest” had Ruffalo been fired, indicating that this was just another online rumor that got out of hand.
The rumors had been building after the 2026 Golden Globes ceremony, when Ruffalo was on the red carpet and heavily criticized the Trump administration and the recent actions of ICE agents. It wasn’t long before it got around that Disney was cutting ties with the actor.
That Ruffalo has not been officially announced for Avengers: Doomsday fueled the rumors. Of course, the more logical reason Ruffalo isn't in Doomsday is that he’s pretty busy with numerous movies and his starring role in the acclaimed HBO drama Task, which is prepping for a second season.
One tiny detail that ruins the entire “Ruffalo has been fired” story is that he’s confirmed to be returning as the Hulk for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It’d be pretty strange for Marvel to drop him with no warning, which would include having to cancel Ruffalo’s reported $500 million contract.
It’s possible the Hulk is in Doomsday and Ruffalo is playing the old MCU actor game of acting like he’s not to make his return a surprise. It’s just as likely the Hulk skips this installment and returns for Secret Wars alongside Brand New Day. Either way, if Disney were to cut ties with Ruffalo, it would be far more obvious with an official statement, not off some rumors.
So it looks like Ruffalo is still part of Disney and Marvel for the foreseeable future, so fans don’t have to worry about a different Hulk coming to the MCU anytime soon.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.