Incredible Hulk star Mark Ruffalo challenges Boris Johnson after he likened himself to superhero

Vincent Wood
Mark Ruffalo said the Hulk 'fights for the good of the whole': Getty Images for Disney
Mark Ruffalo said the Hulk 'fights for the good of the whole': Getty Images for Disney

Mark Ruffalo, the actor who plays the The Incredible Hulk in the latest Marvel films, has challenged Boris Johnson after the prime minister compared himself and the country to the comic book character.

Promising to ignore the Commons legislation ordering him to delay Brexit if negotiations break down, Mr Johnson told The Mail on Sunday: “Hulk always escaped, no matter how tightly bound in he seemed to be – and that is the case for this country.

“We will come out on October 31 and we will get it done.”

He added in an aside that appeared to refer to himself as the hero that “The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets”.

However, Ruffalo, who plays the Avenger in the Marvel series, appeared to disagree with the prime minister’s assessment of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s character.

He said that The Hulk was dependent on the community around him.

“Boris Johnson forgets that the Hulk only fights for the good of the whole” Ruffalo tweeted.

He added: “Mad and strong can also be dense and destructive. The Hulk works best when he is in unison with a team, and is a disaster when he is alone. Plus...he’s always got Dr. Banner with science and reason”.

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Mr Johnson comparison with superhepr was defended by Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay, who told Sky News “The Hulk was a winner and was extremely popular”.

However the prime minister’s decision to use Bruce Banner’s alter ego as an analogy also drew criticism.

The European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt saying: “Even to Trumpian standards the Hulk comparison is infantile. Is the EU supposed to be scared by this? The British public impressed? Is this Boris Johnson whistling in the dark?”

Labour MP Jess Phillips added the statement was “the kind of thing my kids would say”, adding the caveat that they “would never make such glaring errors about The Hulk, I've raised them properly.”

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