Matthew McConaughey Really, Really Wanted To Play The Hulk, But Marvel Wouldn’t Let Him

Matthew McConaughey has yet to make his Marvel debut, but it’s not for lack of trying. While promoting Greenlights, his newly released memoir, McConaughey revealed to MTV’s Happy Sad Confused podcast that he actually reached out to Marvel and let them know that he was very open to playing one of its most classic characters: The Incredible Hulk. McConnaughey grew up on the old TV show starring Bill Bixby, but when he showed interest in the part, Marvel surprisingly gave the True Detective star a hard pass. Via NME:

Horowitz: You never got your chance to play Bruce Banner, or David Banner in the show, did you

McConaughey: No, I didn’t.

Horowitz: Jerks.

McConaughey: Wanted it.

Horowitz: Really

McConaughey: Yep

Horowitz: Did you throw your hat in the ring Did you say, “I’m game if you guys are”

McConaughey: Yep

Horowitz: No kidding

McConaughey: They said, “No, thank you.”

Horowitz: Can’t get’em all, I guess.

While McConaughey doesn’t offer a timeline on the rejection, it presumably would’ve occurred some time during the 2000s when he was known for his roles in romantic comedies than his later, more serious work in the 2010s, the true age of “The McConaissance.” That said, it wasn’t like McConaughey wasn’t putting butts in the seat and, surely, he had considerably more star power than Eric Bana, Edward Norton, and Mark Ruffalo. Of course, that could’ve been part of the problem. More star power means more paycheck, and in the early days of the MCU Marvel was infamous for being very stingy with how much — or little — it paid its actors. Just ask Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Evans how much they made on their first Marvel movies because it wasn’t a lot.