Two of the juggernauts that continue to make news and history throughout entertainment are the Star Wars franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the former continuing to branch out on Disney+, and the latter slated to return with the upcoming movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, things aren’t going to be cooling down for either series in the near future. So what better time for Mark Ruffalo to shade Star Wars, and for Ewan McGregor to express no current interest in becoming a Marvel hero?
Why You Won’t See Ewan McGregor In The MCU Anytime Soon
During his recent appearance at FanExpo Boston (via ComicBook.com), McGregor didn’t totally shoot down the hypothetical situation of joining the Marvel ranks. Rather, the actor’s passions lie in other areas that he’s looking to cross off of his list in the meantime, which he shared with his audience in his response below:
I don't know. I don't know that I want to do that. Because I love doing all different kinds of work. It's true. I love to direct. I'd like to be in the theater again. I definitely want to do this again, you know, I'm in this Star Wars world. I feel like I don't need another... I'm not looking for that anyway. I feel like I shouldn't say I wouldn't do it because in two years time you'll be like, 'You said you were never going to do this!' But I'm not looking for it particularly.
It took almost 20 years for Ewan McGregor to finally return to the Star Wars universe through the Obi Wan Kenobi series, so rush isn’t a huge part of the man’s life plan. That being said, so long as McGregor is eager to stay in that galaxy far, far away, it sounds like he’s fine with leaving well enough alone with the MCU. Which is ok, because after Mark Ruffalo’s remarks about Star Wars, it might be awkward for these two potential co-stars to work together.
How Mark Ruffalo Shaded Star Wars When Compared To The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Another round of Disney+ press has seen one of its stars speaking about another huge pillar to the company’s intellectual property. The big difference with Mark Ruffalo’s remarks is that when comparing Star Wars to the MCU for his Metro interview, the She Hulk star threw some shade on the corporate sibling. It was a polite shade though, as Ruffalo cited Marvel as being the superior force with some compelling evidence:
I understand that these things run their course and then something else comes along. But the thing Marvel has done well is that, inside the MCU, just as they do with comic books, they let a director or an actor sort of recreate each piece to their own style, their likeness. Marvel generally lets them bring that to the material. If you watch a Star Wars, you’re pretty much going to get the same version of Star Wars each time.
Admittedly, while it sounds like Star Wars has fallen into a formulaic rut according to Mark Ruffalo, he hasn’t exactly put off the potential for joining that universe. Even as far back as when Rian Johnson was hired to write/direct The Last Jedi, Ruffalo wanted in on the Star Wars fun. Perhaps his comments above are a way of stating that he’s a fan of Johnson’s controversial sequel.
Studios as big as Disney love to have long term relationships with talent like Mark Ruffalo and Ewan McGregor. As long as both Star Wars and Marvel are still making bank, the odds that either will join the other’s universe can increase at any given moment. Though if you wanted to place a bet as to who would make the first move, Ruffalo could be the current favorite, even after throwing that slight bit of shade.
No matter which side you’re on, if you’re a Disney+ subscriber, you can enjoy both Ewan McGregor and Mark Ruffalo’s latest. Ruffalo is currently reprising his role as Bruce Banner/The Hulk on She Hulk: Attorney at Law, and McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi is about to release a behind the scenes documentary entitled A Jedi’s Return. Expect that new Star Wars connected title to arrive on September 8, as part of this year’s Disney+ Day celebration!
