'Avengers' Has A Message, Says Mark Ruffalo

by Jeremy Gordon

With all its iron men, black widows and American captains, did you think "The Avengers" was a superhero movie? Oh, how wrong you thought. It's a metaphor, silly, one that transcends blown-up buildings and CGI wizardry -- that's according to Mark Ruffalo, at least.

"You have all these disparate egos, superheroes in this and that, and they refuse to give up some of their positions in order to make a more perfect union and to join the team," he told the Wall Street Journal. "That's really what the whole movie is about: subjugating your own best interest momentarily to further that of the whole."

Ruffalo plays the Hulk, so it's unsure what he'll have to give up. Pants? Dignity? But we jest, because it's noble that he'd want the movie to mean more than the usual slap-bang action fests.

Ruffalo, who's been seen in the Occupy Wall Street movement, also sees the movie as speaking towards modern issues of oppression. As a lifelong comic book fan, superheroes are the perfect vessel to examine the problems.

"These movies reach a lot of people, they're our modern mythology," he said. "I think a lot of the beliefs I have and cherish were fostered by the decency of our superheroes, and what they were about and what they were fighting for."

Thankfully, his son understands. After getting the "Avengers" role, Ruffalo bought a box set of the '70s TV show starring Bill Bixby as Bruce Banner. Upon watching together, everything clicked.

"He was completely addicted. He totally got it," Ruffalo said of his son. "After the first episode he turned to me and said, 'Papa, he's so misunderstood!'"

Watch Ruffalo Hulk Out!

What do you think of the "Avengers" message described by Ruffalo? Tell us in the comments section and on Twitter!