Mark Ruffalo said that featuring a band with real music “95% of the time ruins a movie”, because it is difficult to capture convincingly on screen. He made the comment while discussing his 2010 directorial debut, Sympathy for Delicious, whose combination of live music and faith-healing themes he believed risked becoming excessive or implausible.

Ruffalo said he deliberately kept the supernatural elements restrained, avoiding obvious effects such as flickering lights in favour of an honest approach. Despite a cast including Orlando Bloom, Laura Linney and Juliette Lewis, the film earned just under $14,000 at the box office and remains Ruffalo’s only directing credit; his acting career soon expanded through the Avengers films.