It’s reasonable to argue that Mark Ruffalo is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s definitive Hulk, yet some may forget that he was only recast in the role. Some may recall the poor Incredible Hulk picture starring Edward Norton, which was released in 2008. Only when Marvel agreed to let Norton rework the screenplay did Norton agree to portray Bruce Banner in the picture. Despite Norton’s efforts, the production proceeded to cut sequences that he explicitly requested. So, to put it mildly, Norton and Marvel didn’t get along, and Norton was eventually replaced with Mark Ruffalo in the forthcoming MCU movie. Norton is still bitter about the entire situation a decade later.
Norton was one of several roasters at this weekend’s Bruce Willis roast, and he seized the opportunity to criticize Marvel for what he believes is a weak screenplay for The Incredible Hulk. “I wanted a better script,” Norton said, according to THR’s Ryan Parker, when asked about his problematic conduct throughout the filming process.
Norton bemoaned the time he attempted to be an action hero like Willis, stating…
“I tried to be like you. I did a big action movie called The Incredible Hulk. You know what went wrong? I wanted a better script.”
While it’s easy to say “get over it,” it’s difficult to blame Norton since he was allegedly promised a lot more creative influence. After permitting director Louis Leterrier and Norton to shoot the sequences, Marvel ultimately decided to delete the majority of them from the final edit. Ruffalo’s replacement was clearly an excellent choice, but it’s unclear how Norton would have handled the character in the subsequent flicks.
The WGA did not give Norton writing credit for the film based on the finished result since Penn’s overarching narrative remained mostly intact, whereas Norton primarily adjusted speech.
According to Edward Norton’s second shot at Marvel during the Roast (via The Hollywood Reporter), he doesn’t think the final product lived up to his expectations, claiming that aiming to make it as good as the worst movie from another director with comic book experience wasn’t an unreasonable goal, but one that the film fell short of.
Norton has remained clear from franchises for the most part, which has benefited both him and the audience. Norton, who has generally been associated with lesser movies, has given us some fantastic performances in Wes Anderson films, as well as an Oscar nomination for his part in the Best Picture winner Birdman.
The bad blood remains, but as long as Norton continues to do what he does best, everything will be alright.
