Mark Ruffalo, best known as the MCU’s Bruce Banner, has rejected a bizarre comparison between Brexit and the Incredible Hulk. The last few years have seen the U.K.’s political class absorbed by the country’s coming departure from the European Union. Brexit appears to be building to a head; the U.K. is due to leave on October 31, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting he would rather die in a ditch than request a further extension.
The Brexit debate is becoming increasingly surreal, given the always outspoken Johnson’s penchant for strange and unusual metaphors. That became particularly clear on Sunday, when Johnson made the decidedly odd choice of comparing Britain’s divisive exit from the EU to Marvel’s big green superhero the Hulk.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a Conservative newspaper favored by those Johnson tends to appeal to, the Prime Minister declared: “Banner might be bound in manacles, but when provoked he would explode out of them. Hulk always escaped, no matter how tightly bound in he seemed to be - and that is the case for this country. The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.” Suffice to say the comment raised eyebrows among the U.K.’s legal and political class, many of whom are actually avid comic book readers. Naturally, it didn’t take long for actor Mark Ruffalo to come across the quote. Well known as a political activist, Ruffalo decided to voice his displeasure on Twitter, telling Johnson that Brexit really can’t be compared to the Hulk.
Ruffalo is clearly up to speed on the Brexit debate, and his counter argument is based on three simple points. Firstly, he insists that “mad and strong can also be dense and destructive.” He’s right; in the comics, the Hulk has been known for unwittingly rampaging across the United States, and he’s leveled entire cities in his unthinking rage. That actually led Earth’s heroes to decide he was too dangerous to stay on Earth at all, and they launched him into space on a rocket - and even then, he came back in a “World War Hulk” event. Hopefully Johnson isn’t trying to suggest a post-Brexit Britain will be reviled by the rest of the world because of the damage it’s caused.
Next, Ruffalo outright rejects the basic idea of Brexit, arguing that the Hulk works best when he’s part of a team. The Hulk’s lack of intellect essentially means he’s a weapon that needs to be pointed at the right enemies, lest he cause havoc on a global stage. With the right handling, say a little TLC from Black Widow, the Hulk becomes a powerful force for good. Bereft of that, he’s so dangerous that his allies even take the time to build Hulkbuster armor to restrain him. It’s currently unclear who’ll be on hand to calm the bitterly divided Brexit Britain.
Finally, Ruffalo suggests that the Hulk always has Bruce Banner present “with science and reason.” This may seem like an innocuous comment to American readers, but in fact it’s a very pointed reference. Brexit springs from a referendum in 2016, and Michael Gove - one of the most prominent pro-Brexit campaigners - famously declared that “the people of this country have had enough of experts.” Gove’s statement may have proved prophetic, given Brexit is becoming so controversial that fellow supporter Boris Johnson has earned the ire of the Hulk. The Prime Minister had better remember - he won’t like it if he makes Mark Ruffalo angry.
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Sources: The Daily Mail, Mark Ruffalo/Twitter
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