INCREDIBLE Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo has rubbished Boris Johnson’s comparison of Brexit Britain to his famous character – saying he “forgets the Hulk only fights for the good of the whole”.
Over the weekend the PM bullishly claimed the UK will break out of the European Union’s “manacles” like Bruce Banner, which transforms into the giant green Hulk when angered.
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Mr Johnson said: “Hulk always escaped, no matter how tightly bound in he seemed to be – and that is the case for this country.”
Continuing with the analogy, he added: “The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets”.
However Ruffalo, who plays the green-tinged superhero in Marvel’s Avengers films, suggested Mr Johnson’s metaphor was ill-conceived.
He tweeted: “Boris Johnson forgets that the Hulk only fights for the good of the whole. Mad and strong can also be dense and destructive.
“The Hulk works best when he is in unison with a team, and is a disaster when he is alone.
“Plus…he’s always got Dr Banner with science and reason.”
The actor, who has played the Hulk since 2012, joined a number who suggested the PM lacked understanding of the comic book character when he made the comparison.
Labour MP Jess Phillips tweeted: “This is the kind of thing my kids would say aside from they would never make such glaring errors about The Hulk, I’ve raised them properly.
Call The Midwife actor Stephen McGann added: “I also note, with reference to the Hulk, that Theresa May’s ‘red, white and blue Brexit’ has morphed effortlessly into a ‘green, violent and emotionally unstable’ Brexit. Righto.”
‘INFANTILE’
However Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay praised Mr Johnson’s metaphor and revived another recent favourite of the Tories – that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is a “chicken” for not voting for an early general election.
He said: “The Hulk was a winner and was extremely popular and I’d rather be backing a character and a leader who is The Hulk, rather than one who is on the ‘chicken run’, as Jeremy Corbyn is”.
But the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt described the PM’s Incredible Hulk comparison as “infantile” even when compared with the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump.
He tweeted: “Even to Trumpian standards the Hulk comparison is infantile. Is the EU supposed to be scared by this? The British public impressed?
“Is this Boris Johnson whistling in the dark?”
EU TALKS
Mr Johnson said he believes “passionately” that a new Brexit deal can be struck with Brussels as he prepares to hold his first face-to-face talks as PM with Jean-Claude Juncker.
The Prime Minister will travel to Luxembourg today where he will warn the European Commission president he will reject any offer to delay Britain’s departure.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said he was working “flat out” to reach an agreement but insisted he would take the UK out of the bloc even if a deal cannot be reached at the European Council summit next month.
Downing Street has sought to downplay speculation that Monday’s meeting could be a breakthrough moment, and Brexit Secretary Mr Barclay said on Sunday there was still “significant work” to do to reach an agreement.
He suggested that extending the post-Brexit transition period until December 2022 could be the key to unlocking a new EU deal.
The move would allow more time to put a new customs system in place to replace the backstop, dubbed alternative arrangements.
But it risks infuriating hardline Brexiteers, as it would see Britain having to follow EU rules for more than years after its EU exit.
Mr Barclay also said the government can now “see a landing zone in terms of a future deal”, but added: “There is significant work still to do. The talks tomorrow will be an important step forward as part of that”.
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