Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Returns for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ After Months of Denial

For months, one of the biggest lingering questions surrounding Marvel’s next major crossover event seemed to have a clear, if disappointing, answer. Fans hoping to see the Hulk smashing his way through the studio’s most ambitious ensemble film yet had been told, directly by the actor himself, not to get their hopes up. Now that answer appears to be changing.

According to newly circulating reports, Mark Ruffalo is set to return as Bruce Banner’s Hulk in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ reversing months of public denial about the character’s involvement in the film. The update marks a significant shift from what Ruffalo told Empire Magazine back in January, when he directly confirmed that Hulk would not appear in the upcoming Russo Brothers-directed crossover.

At the time, Ruffalo struck a calm, optimistic tone about the character’s absence rather than expressing disappointment. “As long as they keep finding cool things to do with Hulk. It’s given me so many gifts. You know, I probably wouldn’t be in Crime 101 if it wasn’t for The Avengers,” he said, leaving the door open for a future return without committing to any specific timeline. That comment, paired with March’s massive official cast reveal that notably omitted Ruffalo’s name entirely, seemed to settle the matter for most fans heading into the film’s December release.

That narrative began shifting this week following leaks surrounding ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore,’ the theatrical re-release of the 2019 blockbuster designed to bridge directly into ‘Doomsday.’ According to scooper MyTimeToShineHello, the re-release reportedly includes a post-credits scene in which Doctor Doom directly approaches Hulk, seemingly attempting to recruit him for whatever scheme he has in motion, with Banner shown imprisoned in a military complex before Doom’s voice interrupts him.

That leak initially left plenty of ambiguity about whether the scene depicted the true Bruce Banner or a multiversal variant, and whether Ruffalo himself would need to physically appear on screen at all. Some outlets speculated the sequence could even tie into a separate, Hulk-like variant already spotted during filming, meaning Doom might simply be borrowing the character’s likeness rather than recruiting Ruffalo’s mainline version directly.

He used to be different.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc pic.twitter.com/OUutSMZneq

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026

If Ruffalo’s return is accurate, it would not be the first time a Marvel star has publicly denied involvement in a film only for that denial to later prove misleading. Chris Evans reportedly told press he would not be returning for ‘Doomsday’ as well, only for his Captain America to appear in the film’s very first teaser trailer shortly afterward, a pattern Marvel has leaned on repeatedly to protect its biggest surprises.

Notably, Ruffalo’s Hulk was already confirmed to appear in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ released earlier this year, where the character was hijacked by Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey and transformed into a more feral “Savage Hulk” persona before ending the film in an ambulance with his fate left uncertain. That storyline had previously fueled speculation that Banner’s arc was being kept deliberately separate from the main Avengers roster, making his potential appearance in ‘Doomsday’ feel like a natural extension of unfinished business from that film.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ set to hit theaters on December 18 following the largest ensemble cast in franchise history, this latest twist adds yet another layer of intrigue to a marketing rollout that has already leaned heavily on secrecy and misdirection. Whether Ruffalo’s Hulk shows up in full force or simply in a smaller capacity tied to Doom’s mysterious plans, fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out.

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