Mark Ruffalo Just Explained the Reason Kevin Feige Almost Quit Marvel in 2012
Avengers star Mark Ruffalo has revealed that the franchise almost lost its boss years ago, as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige nearly quit in 2012 over a lack of diversity and representation.
During an interview with The Independent, Ruffalo, who has played Bruce Banner/Hulk in five MCU movies since 2012, recalled a conversation he had with Feige on the set of The Avengers just before the Marvel boss went to his superiors to urge them to consider a female-led movie.
"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 that point) does not believe that anyone will go to a female-starring super movie. So if I am still here tomorrow you will know that I won that battle.'"
Of course, Feige did win the battle and continued in his role, with several female-led Marvel movies now in the works after Captain Marvel was released in 2019.
And Ruffalo credits Feige with making a big change to the superhero movie landscape.
"That was the turning point for Marvel," he said. "Because Kevin wanted black superheroes, women superheroes, LGBT superheroes. He changed the whole Marvel universe.
"We now have gay superheroes, 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. No other studio is being that forwardly inclusive on that level.
"They have to, though. This is the f**king world. The culture is way ahead of the politics."
Other steps being taken in the Marvel world to improve representation include the featuring of an on-screen LGBTQ+ kiss in upcoming film The Eternals and the decision to make Natalie Portman the female Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Avengers: Endgame is out now on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D, 4K and digital download.
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