The Hulk whiffed twice with audiences first with 2003's Hulk and then The Incredible Hulk.  It wasn't until The Avengers that moviegoers finally sparked to the character, and now there's demand to give the big, green guy his own movie again.  Previously, Marvel was resistant to the idea given the shortcomings of past iterations as well as the amount of new characters and other sequels they are developing.  However, it looks like Hulk might have a new chance to start smashing in a new solo movie.

Hit the jump for more.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Mark Ruffalo explained that before The Avengers, "It was basically 'No!", but "now there is some consideration for it."  However, he was quick to clarify, "But there's still nothing definitive, not even a skeletal version of what it would be. I look forward to going down that road, if we could crack that nut. I think obviously the Banner/Hulk storyline is not an easy nut to crack."

He's right that it's tough because it's important to keep in mind that the best on-screen Hulk has been a supporting character.  As we've seen in Hulk and The Incredible Hulk, the "Everyone needs to get away from me!" stuff is understandable, but eventually becomes tiresome.  Banner still has that attitude in Avengers, but there's also room for him to play off other characters.  The movie has enough confidence to let him be something other than a man on the run.

Additionally, as Hulk fans know, there are storylines from the comics that have big-screen potential such as Planet Hulk and World War Hulk.  The larger question for Marvel is how willing they are to give him a third standalone movie when their upcoming films include Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and Captain America 3 plus TBA released dates for Thor 3 and Doctor Strange as well as any unannounced projects.  The MCU is becoming a very crowded place, and Hulk's solo track record is risky.

If anything is going to help boost the big guy's chances of another standalone story, it will be how audiences react to him in Avengers: Age of Ultron, a film which, according to Ruffalo, gives the character a "bigger, more complex" role.

Here's the interview with Digital Spy: