On Friday, Marvel boss Kevin Feige has released a statement announcing the search for a new actor to inhabit the role of Bruce Banner/the Hulk in Marvel Studios’ upcoming “The Avengers.” It had been expected that Edward Norton would reprise his role from “The Incredible Hulk,” but that became a doubtful prospect after a less-than-agreeable parting of ways in the wake of that film’s release. Norton, however, seemed open to the idea of returning during the thousands of times he was approached by reporters in recent months.
And in a further development to this story, it appears, at least according to Norton’s camp, that the enthusiasm for Norton’s return remained until the very last minute. In a statement released to HitFix, Norton’s agent Brian Swardstrom hit the warpath against Feige’s statement, which explicitly claimed the dispute over Norton’s role in the upcoming movie wasn’t monetary, and implicitly painted a picture of Norton as a boat-rocking jerk. Here’s an excerpt:
“This offensive statement from Kevin Feige at Marvel is a purposefully misleading, inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light. Here are the facts: two months ago, Kevin called me and said he wanted Edward to reprise the role of Bruce Banner in ‘The Avengers.’ He told me it would be his fantasy to bring Edward on stage with the rest of the cast at ComiCon and make it the event of the convention. When I said that Edward was definitely open to this idea, Kevin was very excited and we agreed that Edward should meet with Joss Whedon to discuss the project. Edward and Joss had a very good meeting (confirmed by Feige to me) at which Edward said he was enthusiastic at the prospect of being a part of the ensemble cast. Marvel subsequently made him a financial offer to be in the film and both sides started negotiating in good faith. This past Wednesday, after several weeks of civil, uncontentious discussions, but before we had come to terms on a deal, a representative from Marvel called to say they had decided to go in another direction with the part. This seemed to us to be a financial decision but, whatever the case, it is completely their prerogative, and we accepted their decision with no hard feelings.
We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige’s mean spirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his. Feige’s statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory. Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel’s fans.” Oh snap, they brought the kids into this!
According to the Swardstrom/Norton timeline, before Norton could make a decision, Feige released the statement claiming Marvel was recasting, citing 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. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.” Ouch.
So according to Norton’s camp, he was just an actor looking to come back to a cushy gig, done wrong by a dishonest employer who painted him in an unprofessional light. But Feige’s comments certainly seem rooted in the stories we’ve heard. A timeline, if you will:
-Edward Norton, known for re-editing “American History X” and re-writing “Frida,” arrives at ComicCon to promote “The Incredible Hulk,” claiming that not only is he starring in the film, but he’s significantly re-written the script credited to Zak Penn. The WGA rules that Penn is to get sole credit for the screenplay, though a poster surfaces featuring a writing credit given to someone named “Edward Harrison.”
-The media catches hold of a story that Norton and director Louis Letterier are fans of a more substantial cut of the film that favors character and drama, but have been ignored by Marvel, who decide to release a shorter, action-heavier film. Norton claims this is a healthy misunderstanding, but is mysteriously absent from most promotional events.
-The trailer, featuring a number of several Norton-penned sequences (including moments from a pivotal prologue), misrepresents the film, which features absolutely none of Norton’s contributions to the screenplay. In essence, Marvel feels the Norton-written moments are not strong enough to make the final product, but do an excellent job of making the final product look interesting.
-The film, which underperforms at the box office, is more of a middle-tier superhero picture, but it does not improve or damage the Marvel brand. The Blu-Ray DVD release, featuring Norton’s excised material, suggests a much more interesting and dramatically potent film.
Are we to assume Edward Norton isn’t some kind of control freak? Of course not. Norton, a self-proclaimed comic nut, did what any obnoxious superfan would do, which is toss his many fan-fictiony ideas around in the hope that Marvel would be receptive to his ideas — and in the case of “The Incredible Hulk” maybe they should have. We have no doubt Norton was probably a nuisance when it came time to edit “The Incredible Hulk.” But Feige clearly went out of his way to let everyone know Norton is not a team player, promoting his reputation as a difficult actor in the most passive-aggressive way possible. Worse still, he did it in the middle of a negotiation, which, whether it was going well or not, is the height of unprofessionalism.
This isn’t the first time Marvel negotiations have gone sour. “Iron Man 2” struggled with rumor control when Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle without anyone informing Howard, while salary disputes dogged the courting of Samuel L. Jackson and Mickey Rourke. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right? We have no doubt Marvel wasn’t interested in meeting Norton’s probably too-high quote, and/or he offered to “help” Whedon who is currently re-writing the script. And a creative disagreement, fueled by Marvel’s insistence on total creative control over their own product, combined with their stingy hold on their pursestrings, is not a completely shocking development. But we’re guessing there’s more to this story that we’re not hearing right now, and it will soon come to light through these fairly ugly PR battles. Stay tuned.
