Imagine Matthew McConaughey as Bruce Banner. The guy who crushed it in Magic Mike and won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club almost played the Hulk. But Marvel didn’t have it. He spilled the rejection on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, saying, “Wanted it.” He threw his hat in the ring, but Marvel passed with a “No, thank you.” Ouch.
By the time the MCU hit, McConaughey was at the top of his game—A Time to Kill, rom-coms, then the “McConaissance” in Magic Mike, Killer Joe, and Interstellar. With superhero films everywhere, he thought, why not him?
McConaughey’s love for the Hulk goes back to the classic The Incredible Hulk TV show. So when Marvel was casting, he figured he was the guy. But nope. Marvel went with Edward Norton in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and by The Avengers (2012), Mark Ruffalo was the one smashing it.
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Fast forward to 2020, McConaughey shared his failed pursuit on the podcast. When Horowitz asked, “Did you throw your hat in the ring? Did you say, ‘I’m game if you guys are?’” McConaughey’s response was simple: “Yep. They said, ‘No, thank you.’” There’s some unspoken pain there, right?
But McConaughey didn’t totally close the Marvel door. After passing on playing Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (the role Kurt Russell snatched), McConaughey kept his hopes up. Rumor has it he could appear as Maestro, a darker and brighter Hulk variant, in Avengers: Secret Wars. A little bit of the Hulk rage with McConaughey’s charm? Perfect fit, right?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a history of actors passing on roles—like when Ryan Phillippe and John Krasinski were reportedly in the mix for Captain America, only to see Chris Evans get the golden ticket. Even Robert Downey Jr. had to fight for the role of Iron Man! So, McConaughey’s Hulk dreams may have been dashed, but he’s been doing just fine. His career didn’t end there—he kept winning in Hollywood, and let’s be real, there’s always room for a McConaughey-sized cameo in the MCU.
And here’s the kicker—while Ruffalo’s Hulk is the one we all know and love, the multiverse is alive and kicking. So, don’t lose hope just yet. Whether it’s as Maestro or another wild Hulk variant, we could still see McConaughey’s dream of going full Hulk mode come true. Keep those fingers crossed, folks. The MCU isn’t done with him yet.
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