Don’t freak out; Mark Ruffalo is still The Hulk. That’s not the recasting we’re here to explain.
Although you’d be forgiven for assuming we were talking about Ruffalo’s take on the character, as the last solo Hulk MCU film is well over 16 years old at this point.
Disney’s Marvel films have seen a few recastings over the years, such as Terrence Howard getting recast in favour of Don Cheadle for Iron Man 2, but Edward Norton’s replacement as Bruce Banner following the release of The Incredible Hulk is probably the most high-profile of them all.
So why did Norton get replaced? Probably because, by the sounds of things, he was a bit of a pain to work with.
Advert
As explained in Joanna Robinson's book, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, this rule even spawned its own “policy” at Disney.
Here’s the excerpt: “We have a no-asshole policy on our movies,” one Marvel performer summarized. Craig Kyle, who joined Marvel Studios as a producer back in the days of the kite factory, agreed: 'It's a great policy."
There’s a little more to it however, as (following the release of The Incredible Hulk) Kevin Feige explained to HitFix back in 2010.
“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers,” he told the publication, “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.”
“The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Samuel, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”
Damn, Feige. You don’t even have to read the lines to feel the sass behind his words, especially when he explicitly states that it wasn’t “based on monetary factors.”
Does make you wonder how different the MCU would have been if Norton stuck around though. Maybe they’d have kept the awful bowl cut they gave The Hulk for longer too.