Has Mark Ruffalo let slip that two dead characters are returning in Avengers: Infinity War?

Poor Mark Ruffalo. When he’s not live-streaming parts of Thor: Ragnarok, he’s maybe saying a little too much about who could be rocking up in Avengers: Infinity War. Even worse, these are two characters who, as of now, are dead in the MCU and aren’t expected to appear in any future Marvel movies. So, it goes without saying, possible spoilers ahead – as well as spoilers for those who haven’t seen Thor: Ragnarok.

Taking on actor Michael Rapaport’s podcast, Ruffalo is asked which actors he’s recently enjoyed working with. Crucially, at 50:40, he mentions two MCU alumni: Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.

Now, working with Cate Blanchett could just as easily be a nod to starring alongside Hela in Thor: Ragnarok but there’s a couple of caveats to that. The two had no real scenes together – certainly none involving dialogue – and, with Hela being the Goddess of Death and all, it’s not a stretch to see her coming back in some way, shape or form.

Tilda Swinton is a lot more interesting. IMDB has no record of the pair ever appearing together in a movie and – as Ruffalo mentions earlier in the podcast - he’s been filming Ragnarok, Infinity War, and Avengers 4 back-to-back-to-back. Swinton, of course, played the Ancient One in Doctor Strange. For her to come back doesn’t require too much of a logic leap outside of some mystic mumbo-jumbo.

This absolutely should be taken with a big pinch of salt but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility to see two resurrections (or flashbacks/dream sequences) within the space of two movies. Especially as we have no idea what Thanos is capable of. Bringing Hela back would certainly send quite a message.

For more Avengers: Infinity War content, check out how Karen Gillan tried not to fangirl whilst taking coffee breaks (in costume) during filming.

Image: Marvel

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.