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Although Mark Ruffalo has been playing Bruce Banner since 2012’sThe Avengers, Edward Norton served as the character of Bruce Banner in his first solo Hulk film (The Incredible Hulk)admirably.However, Norton’s vision for his superhero character and Marvel’s characterization ethos clashed.
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in its early stages, the prospect of seeing Chris Evans’ Captain America and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor inThe Avengersalongside Norton’s portrayal of The Incredible Hulk seemed like a dream come true for fans.
However, Norton’s insistence on one particular condition that Marvel vehemently struggled to agree upon ultimately caused this dream to come to an end. TheAmerican History Xactor favored a longer, more drawn-out adventure movie, while Marvel preferred one that was more condensed.
Read More:‘You recast Edward Norton’s Hulk, you can recast Kang’: Fans Reveal MCU’s Long History With Sudden Recasts Proves Jonathan Majors is Replaceable
The Tense And Awkward Split Of Edward Norton From Marvel
Fans often speculate about how the Hulk films might have appeared ifEdward Nortonhad continued to portray the character.The Incredible Hulk,a 2003 movie, cemented the Hulk’s legacy, but Norton was not entirely on board with Marvel’s approach.
The only criteria Norton had for playing the green character was how much input the Academy Award nominee would have on the script. As per Marvel Studios Spoilers viaReddit,The Incredible Hulk’sfamous Captain America deleted scene was Norton’s original opening, but Marvel deemed it to be too somber. As they parted ways,Mark Ruffalowas later cast as Bruce inThe Avengers(2012).
Norton once toldHitFixin an interview:
“It’s one of those things that I don’t… It has so much to do with big agendas at big companies that it’s not where I put a whole lot of my thought time. I think that if they want to do The Avengers, they kind of have to roll out a bunch of their other characters first. There’s Thor, Captain America, and all those. I think that that might be downstream a little bit.”
Read More:Before Marvel Humiliation Edward Norton Claimed The Incredible Hulk Will “Degrade” His Effectiveness as an Actor
Edward Norton and Marvel’s Creative Disagreement
Edward Norton would not reprise his Bruce Banner inThe Avengers,the first team-up movie, as Marvel President Kevin Feige, 50, made clear. The statement did not mention money specifically, according to theVulturereport, but rather Norton’s rapport with the team as a whole. As per the statement:
“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members.”
Mark Ruffalo eventually took over the Hulk role inThe Avengersand subsequent films after Norton left due to creative differences.While this was going on, Norton had his own plans for his Hulk movies that did not seem to fit with Marvel’s approach. During his interview with HitFix, theFightClubactor, 54, shared:
“To me the whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. It’s definitely intended as a chapter one. You know, part of the problem with these films, in general, is they seem to feel the obligation to tell the origin story in a linear fashion, to deal with it first and then go on into the adventure.”
The Avengersmade more than $1.5 billion in revenue worldwide, breaking a number of box office records and rising to third place among all movies ever made at the time of its release. Three follow-up films have also been made:Avengers: Age of Ultron,Avengers: Infinity War, andAvengers: Endgame.
StreamThe Avengersfilm series on Disney Plus.
Read More:Edward Norton Did Not Agree with Marvel’s Decision to Bring Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk into Avengers after His $265 Million ‘The Incredible Hulk’
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
