The films and TV shows that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe depict some truly amazing and sometimes otherworldly moments. As cool as they look on screen, those scenes aren’t so glamorous to shoot on a set. Bruce Banner/Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo knows that better than most, considering he does a lot of motion-capture work when filming material for the Green Goliath. For Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland worked with Ruffalo for such scenes, and he shared a funny take on that experience.
By now, the MCU faithful surely know how Ruffalo dons a gray suit and dots to portray Hulk on set, and the photos he’s shared over the years are quite delightful. Holland recently spoke about his own time filming his upcoming Marvel movie with Ruffalo. The British actor shared his comments during Brand New Day’s recent virtual press conference, where CinemaBlend was present. When the dynamic between Spidey and Hulk was being discussed, Holland had this to say about it from a behind-the-scenes perspective:
It's a really peculiar experience because the moment you like, step outside the bubble and you -- If there was a mirror on set and you could see what you were doing, it really requires full commitment. And I remember me standing on an apple box and Mark would be holding this gigantic Hulk hand and I'm pretending that it's choking me and then he's doing the voice and he's so good at the voice. And there were real moments where I was like, ‘I just have to trust the process.’ …. ‘This is great, this is gonna be really cool.’ And I'm like, ‘Oh no.’
Just thinking about Holland acting scared in the presence of Ruffalo while he’s doing the Hulk voice and holding a green hand is too funny. But, then again, that’s what acting requires, right? I’d think that working in such a vulnerable way could be a humbling experience for some performers.
Also, in this particular case, Holland can indeed relate to Ruffalo’s experience, considering that some of his Spider-Man costumes were created with CGI and required him to do mo-cap work.
It’s funny to think that some truly cool MCU moments are far from that when they’re being made. Thor: Ragnarok, for example, includes some epic sequences involving Ruffalo’s giant, green character, though co-star Chris Hemsworth even admitted to the difficulties of working with him like that. Furthermore, Hemsworth also spoke about shooting the Avengers team-up scene from the original 2012 movie and how it was anything but iconic, so Holland's comments aren't the first time an MCU star has felt a little goofy on set. Still, as Holland mentions, an actor like him just has to trust that it’ll all look cool when it’s done.
What I’ll say is that it’s awesome to finally see Spider-Man and Hulk (who’s not going to be gray as rumored) alongside each other in a movie. Sure, they’re both part of Avengers: Endgame’s final battle, but neither actually fight directly alongside each other. This has been a long time coming, but I’m curious to see how Banner fits into this latest chapter in Peter Parker’s journey.
Now, what I’d love to hear is Mark Ruffalo’s take on filming with Tom Holland while wearing his mo-cap suit. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oscar nominee were to have a funny take on that, considering how self-deprecating he usually is about his MCU work. In any case, God bless Ruffalo, Holland and co. for working through any embarrassment to perfect the awesome scenes fans get to see on the big screen.
Spider-Man: Brand new Day swings into theaters on July 31 as part of the 2026 movie schedule.
