Mark Ruffalo Jokes About Needing to "Save" the Thor Franchise After Love and Thunder

During a recent appearance at Emerald City Comic-Con, Avengers star Mark Ruffalo lobbed a jokey insult at Thor: Love and Thunder, suggesting that they need the Incredible Hulk to return to the franchise to "save" it. Ruffalo, of course, appeared in Thor: Ragnarok, which was the only one of the four Thor films to receive almost universal praise from fans and critics. That means the good-but-not-great response that Love and Thunder received is a big step down, and Ruffalo joked that it's his absence that makes the difference. Of course, he immediately clarified that it was a joke, because you can't say this kind of thing at a convention and expect everyone to understand.

In Love and Thunder, instead of bringing back Hulk, the movie introduced Natalie Portman's Mighty Thor, a version of Jane Foster given the powers of Thor when she manages to wield Mjolnir. The movie pitted the pair (as well as their other Asgardian allies) against Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale.

"I have a soft spot for Chris Hemsworth," Ruffalo said. "So, I keep waiting for them to invite me back to the Thor franchise to save it."

He quickly added, "That's a joke...I'm canceled." But needless to say, the audience was enjoying the commentary.

The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he's ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor's surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher's vengeance and stop him before it's too late.

Directed by Waititi ("Thor: Ragnarok," "Jojo Rabbit") and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, Thor: Love and Thunder is now available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital, as well as streaming on Disney+.

h/t The Direct