EDWARD NORTON ON HIS SHORT STINT AS THE HULK
Edward Norton, who portrayed Bruce Banner and the titular monster in “The Incredible Hulk” in 2008, took a swipe at Marvel Studios during the taping of “Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis,” which will be aired later this month.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Fight Club” actor took the opportunity to diss the studio, quipping that he was notoriously difficult while working on the project because he “wanted a better script.”
Norton was an uncredited screenwriter, apart from being the lead actor. His time as the Hulk, however, was short-lived, and Mark Ruffalo was chosen as his replacement in “The Avengers.”
“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in ‘The Avengers,’” Marvel Studios announced in 2010. “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.”
While Norton “really, really enjoyed” his “Hulk” film, he “wanted more diversity.”
He told NPR in 2014: “You can do anything once, but if you do it too many times, it can become a suit that’s hard to take off, in other peoples’ eyes. And if I had continued on with it, I wouldn’t have made ‘Moonrise Kingdom,’ ‘Grand Budapest’ or ‘Birdman,’ because those overlapped with [‘The Avengers’]. But I continue to be a fan, and I’m really happy I got to do it once.”