Mark Ruffalo calls Hulk 'the Hamlet of our generation'

Since "Iron Man" hit theaters in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been known for its flawless continuity. Moviegoers may wonder if this consistency is an impressive artistic achievement or an example of stereotypical filmmaking, but continuity errors have been rare.

One of the only notable misses was the casting of a certain green superhero. Edward Norton played the lead role in 2008's 'The Incredible Hulk' before being replaced by Mark Ruffalo in 'The Avengers'. Norton and Marvel offered conflicting accounts of the events leading up to his firing, but it was clearly a decision made for logistical rather than artistic reasons.

The redesign had never been recognized on screen until 'She-Hulk: Lawyer' began streaming on Disney+. In an early episode of the series, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner winks at fans, saying, "I'm a completely different person now. Literally."

While many fans were thrilled by the meta-joke, it also speaks to Mark Ruffalo's larger philosophy about the character. In a new interview with , Ruffalo talked about his desire to see many other actors give the Hulk their own spin, likening the hero to a Shakespearean protagonist.

“I think it's really funny. It's just the reality that we all dance a lot, but it's true,” Ruffalo said. “I actually joked with Ed about it. I was like, 'This is like the Hamlet of our generation. Everyone will try their luck. And there will probably be another couple before it's all over. People will say, 'Do you remember when the Hulk looked like Mark Ruffalo? Now he looks like Timothée Chalamet.'”

Ruffalo already practices what he preaches. He reprized his role as Bruce Banner in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," but ceded most of the starring role to Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk. For him, this is a necessary step to pave the way for the other Hulks.

"When they decided to do 'She-Hulk' - which I thought was really cool, exciting, appropriate and timely - it was basically like, 'We would be interested in you handing it over to her? '" he said . "They gave me the premise, which I already knew from the comics, and I was like, 'Yeah, I'd love to do that. "And I feel like I'm passing the torch, in a weird way."

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