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Mathew McConaughey wanted to play Hulk, but Marvel declined

AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 21:  Matthew McConaughey participates in a Q&A after a special screening of his new film "The Gentlemen" at Hogg Memorial Auditorium at The University of Texas at Austin on January 21, 2020 in Austin, Texas.  (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 21: Matthew McConaughey participates in a Q&A after a special screening of his new film "The Gentlemen" at Hogg Memorial Auditorium at The University of Texas at Austin on January 21, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)

Matthew McConaughey asked Marvel about portraying the Hulk, only for the studio to turn him down.

The Oscar winner made this admission during his recent appearance on MTV’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, with McConaughey admitting that he really “wanted it,” and that he even told the studio, “I’m game if you guys are?”

Unfortunately Marvel weren’t quite as eager for McConaughey to play Bruce Banner as the actor was. “They said, ‘No, thank you’,” admitted McConaughey.

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The 50-year-old star didn’t reveal when he told Marvel he was interested in portraying the Hulk, but it would have either been before Eric Bana was cast in 2003’s Hulk, Ed Norton portrayed him in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, or Mark Ruffalo took on the character in 2012’s The Avengers.

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If McConaughey had pursued the part of Banner ahead of The Avengers then he would have been in prime contention for the part, as this was around the time of the McConaisance. This was the period when McConaughey stopped appearing in romantic comedies like The Wedding Planner, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and Failure To Launch.

Hulk in The Avengers (Credit: Marvel)
Hulk in The Avengers (Credit: Marvel)

After taking a two-year hiatus from acting in movies, McConaughey took on more dramatic roles, such as The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie, Magic Mike, Killer Joe, Mud, and The Wolf Of Wall Street.

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The high point of McConaughey’s dramatic appearances arrived in 2013 when he starred as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, which earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He then followed this up with his appearance as Rust Cohle in the first season of True Detective, leading to a Emmy award nomination, as well as Interstellar, The Sea Of Trees, and then last year’s The Gentlemen.