Hulk urges Hungarians to vote a certain way in April

Mark Ruffalo, familiar from the Hulk films, has taken a predictably clear stance on Hungary’s April elections—hardly a surprise, given his previous sharp words on the matter.

Mark Ruffalo enthuses over Péter Magyar’s Pécs rally

Péter Magyar held a large rally in Pécs on Saturday evening, with published photographs suggesting thousands turned out once again. These images didn’t stay confined to Hungary; foreign media outlets picked them up, and through them, so did Mark Ruffalo. The American actor, known from the Hulk films and the Avengers universe, shared one such article, calling on his “Hungarian brothers and sisters” to liberate themselves.

The Hollywood star reposted a report from Democratic Wins Media on his Threads page, according to Telex. The article there noted the vast crowd gathered to strike back at Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Putin-supporting regime—something truly marvellous.

Others have weighed in on the elections before

A 2020 Szabad Európa roundup recalled how numerous celebrities have commented on Hungarian election campaigns. George Clooney, for instance, condemned politician-stoked hatred in an interview, citing Hungary and Orbán as examples. Government-friendly media hit back instantly, branding him a Soros stooge. When reached later, Clooney’s publicist replied that Orbán’s propaganda machine was lying. “I would be ashamed not to speak out publicly against such authoritarianism,” the actor added at the time.

Chuck Norris met Orbán in 2018 and watched a TEK training session together. He called Orbán a friend, though with no campaign then underway, he didn’t need to endorse him more forcefully.

Mark Ruffalo has been unequivocal on Hungarian elections before. In 2019, Hulk congratulated opposition wins in the municipal polls; in 2022, Ruffalo urged every Hungarian to oust Orbán and his government.

Fidesz Mayor Tarlós praised by the Black Widow?

An intriguing episode came during the 2019 campaign, when the government-aligned Bors tabloid claimed Scarlett Johansson—filming in Budapest and meeting István Tarlós—had praised the mayor’s work. The actress later issued a statement clarifying she had only complimented the city’s beauty, not Tarlós as a politician.

Huge protests erupted in 2020 against the University of Theatre and Film Arts being shifted from state to foundation control, with students and lecturers up in arms. Salman Rushdie, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett and many other actors and theatre figures spoke out in support of the institution.

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