Mark Ruffalo has revealed that Marvel boss Kevin Feige almost quit while making The Avengers due to the lack of diversity and representation within the superhero franchise.
In an interview with The Independent, Ruffalo, who has played Bruce Banner and his Hulk alter-ego since 2012, recalled an early conversation that he had with Feige, in which the MCU helmer admitted he “might not be” around for much longer, as he planned to talk to Disney about the issue of why there were no female-led superhero movies.
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“When we did the first Avengers, Kevin Feige told me, ‘Listen, I might not be here tomorrow’,” he said. “And he’s like, ‘Ike [Perlmutter, Disney’s largest shareholder at the time] does not believe that anyone will go to a female-starring superhero movie. So if I am still here tomorrow, you will know that I won that battle.'”
With the battle clearly won by Feige, Ruffalo cites this pivotal moment as a “turning point” for Marvel as it triggered the studio’s push towards greater inclusion and broader representation on screen, forever changing the MCU landscape.
“Kevin wanted black superheroes, women superheroes, LGBT superheroes,” Ruffalo added. “He changed the whole Marvel universe. We now have a gay superhero on the way, we have black superheroes, we have female superheroes – Scarlett Johansson has her movie coming out, we have Captain Marvel, they are doing She-Hulk next.
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“No other studio is being that inclusive on that level,” Ruffalo concluded. “They have to, though. This is the f***ing world.”
Feige has since confirmed that LGBTQ+ representation is coming to the MCU’s Phase 4, which is expected to officially kick off with the release of Black Widow on May 1, 2020, followed by The Eternals on November 6, 2020. The second of these two films will feature the MCU’s first openly gay character in a large role.
“He’s married. He’s got a family. And that is just part of who he is,” Feige told Good Morning America in August of last year.
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For more on the movies that are set to launch Phase 4, check out our breakdown of the first official Black Widow trailer and take a look at the poster for the film, then read through our detailed Marvel’s Eternals Explained and The Deviants Explained features before checking out our breakdown of The Eternals’ first trailer footage.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Marvel Boss Almost Quit Over Lack of Diversity, Says Mark Ruffalo