10 Comic Book Movie Firings That Changed Everything
4. Ed Norton - The Avengers
Back in 2008, Ed Norton played Bruce Banner in Louis Leterriers The Incredible Hulk, the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Four years later, in 2012, Mark Ruffalo played the same character in Avengers a crossover movie set within the same continuity. To the casual viewer, this could seem a little confusing. We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers, Marvels head honcho Kevin Feige said to HitFix at the time. 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. Although his agent denied the claims that Norton didnt want to be part of an ensemble, Ed Norton isnt too beaten up about losing the role. This is what he said to NPR: "My feeling was that I experimented and experienced what I wanted to. I really, really enjoyed it. [] I think you can sort of do anything once, but if you do it too many times, it can become a suit thats hard to take off, in other peoples eyes."
