The most astonishing part of the entire Marvel Studios slate of films and the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe is just how the studio has been able to release almost two-dozen films without having a multitude of recasting situations. However, when the studio has recast actors, as in the cases of Terrence Howard and Edward Norton, the departures haven’t been the most amicable. That being said, in the latter case, Norton says that the decision over not continuing as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, was more creative than monetary.
Norton was recently interviewed by the New York Times, where he was asked about the friction that caused a rift between him and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige after the release of “The Incredible Hulk,” and how that led to the actor being recast for the 2012 film “The Avengers.”
“I loved the ‘Hulk’ comics,” Norton explained. “I believed they were very mythic. And what Chris Nolan had done with Batman was going down a path that I aligned with: long, dark and serious. If there was ever a thing that I thought had that in it, it was the Hulk.”
He continued, “It’s literally the Promethean myth. I laid out a two-film thing: The origin and then the idea of Hulk as the conscious dreamer, the guy who can handle the trip. And they were like, ‘That’s what we want!’ As it turned out, that wasn’t what they wanted. But I had a great time doing it. I got on great with Kevin Feige.”
Of course, those who remember the drama that surrounded the recasting of the Bruce Banner character, with Mark Ruffalo taking over for Norton, will likely remember that Marvel Studios did release a statement about the departing actor.
In the statement Feige actually threw Norton under the bus, saying, “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, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts.”
When asked if he knew about the statement, Norton said that the comments were “cheap,” but chalked it up to Feige doing damage control.
“It was brand defensiveness or something,” said Norton. “Ultimately they weren’t going for long, dark and serious. But it doesn’t matter. We had positive discussions about going on with the films, and we looked at the amount of time that would’ve taken, and I wasn’t going to do that. I honestly would’ve wanted more money than they’d have wanted to pay me.”
He added, “But that’s not why I would’ve wanted to do another ‘Hulk’ movie anyway. I went and did all the other things I wanted to do, and what Kevin Feige has done is probably one of the best executions of a business plan in the history of the entertainment industry. As a Disney shareholder, you should be on your feet for what they pulled off.”
Norton went on to say that he has no desire to comment on the slate of Marvel Studios films that followed and doesn’t want to contribute to “click-bait” statements.
The actor might not have been part of the massive MCU that was promised to him, but that hasn’t derailed his career in any way. His latest feature, “Motherless Brooklyn,” will arrive in theaters on November 1.