20 Things That Almost Completely Changed The MCU

5. Joaquin Phoenix Was Considered To Replace Edward Norton As Bruce Banner

After the relationship between Marvel and Edward Norton broke down following the middling flick that was 2008's The Incredible Hulk, the studio opted to recast Bruce Banner with another actor, eventually settling on the brilliant Mark Ruffalo, who - over the course of a mere two Avengers movies - has totally proven himself to be the definitive Hulk. But before Ruffalo signed on, the studio were reportedly in the process of courting another actor: the wonderful Joaquin Phoenix. Ruffalo is Bruce Banner perfection, of course, but there's no denying that Phoenix certainly made for an inspiring choice. Why didn't it happen, then? Nobody knows; rumour has it that Phoenix wasn't sure about getting into bed with a franchise, and Marvel eventually lost patience and began to look elsewhere. Still, having Joaquin Phoenix in The Avengers' lineup would have really been a crazy twist; he's an intense actor with a lot to offer.