15 Bravest Creative Decisions In Comic Book Movie History

11. Recasting The Hulk Three Times In A Decade

No comic book character has been through as many troubled iterations in such a short time as The Hulk. In 2003, Eric Bana took the helm for Ang Lee's divisive Hulk, and though Bana was generally praised for his part, it was felt that the script and lethargic pacing let him down. 2008's The Incredible Hulk featured Edward Norton placing Bruce Banner, and the movie was generally seen as a huge improvement over 2003's effort, with Norton being praised as a strong Banner. However, Norton's creative clashes with Marvel led to him not being invited back for The Avengers, with Mark Ruffalo instead getting the part and ultimately stealing the show away from Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man. Did It Work? In the end, yes. It was certainly frustrating that the part had to be switched out so many times, especially considering that all three actors played the part well, but Marvel managed to land on the best of the three at the end. Hopefully this means they have secured the fate of the big green guy for the considerable future, even if a standalone Hulk movie isn't looking likely anytime soon.