17 Actors You Didn't Know Almost Played The Avengers
13. Billy Crudup Was Almost The Hulk
From one thankfully dodged bullet to one that isn't quite so happy. When Ang Lee was given the difficult task of adapting the big green monster for the big screen, his intention was to cast Billy Crudup, and not the coincidentally named Eric Bana for the lead role. The actor was so firmly wanted that concept artist Benton Jew - who had worked on a bid for Jonathan Hensleighs unmade 1997 Hulk film and would later works as a storyboard artist on Louis Leterriers The Incredible Hulk - mocked up shots of Crudup as Hulk.
The versions of the Hulk that didn't make it to the screen included him battling terrorists and insects (there's probably still time for both, to be fair), but it's hard to imagine that Crudup would have failed int he role, considering his exceptional performance as Dr Manhattan in Watchmen. It is clear that he was still attached as the tentative lead when Jew pitched the artwork, but Ang Lee's confidence in getting his star man obviously wasn't met with the same enthusiasm from his end as Crudup turned the offer down, and Bana stepped in (eventually).