The Incredible Hulk is something of an outlier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Tim Roth reprised Abomination in Shang-Chi's debut outing and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Edward Norton only got to play The Hulk once. Beginning with 2012's The Avengers, Marvel Studios replaced Edward Norton with Mark Ruffalo, who delivered his own spin on the Green Goliath.
Grossing about $265 million worldwide, The Incredible Hulk wasn't hugely successful. But it was received well enough that a casting change caught fans by surprise. Behind the scenes, though, it was a completely different story.
The Incredible Hulk Suffered From a Tumultuous Production
Not only did Edward Norton star in The Incredible Hulk, but he also negotiated to be an uncredited screenwriter (Zak Penn, who wrote the first draft, was credited by the Writers Guild of America as the solo writer). Norton submitted his own draft within a month, as stipulated by his contract with Marvel Studios, but he continued to revise the script well into production. According to co-star Tim Roth, there were daily rewrites.
Norton and director Louis Leterrier also clashed with producers over their desired 135-minute cut of The Incredible Hulk, a dispute that spilled out into public. Marvel Studios prevailed, however, with the theatrical release clocking in at 112 minutes. The actor made only select appearances in support of the film's release, but he insisted that decision wasn't because of his friction with Marvel. "It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves," he clarified, "and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them."
Why Edward Norton Parted Ways with Marvel Studios
That wasn't the last word on the subject, however, because of a report in the lead-up to Comic-Con International 2010 that Marvel planned to recast Norton for The Avengers, which would assemble all the heroes introduced to date in a single film. That was immediately confirmed in a statement by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, issued from the set of Captain America: The First Avenger. He noted, "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."
Unsurprisingly, Norton's agent fired back, calling Marvel's comments "offensive" and "a purposefully misleading, inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light." Norton offered another explanation for his departure during a 2014 interview, saying he had "experienced what [he] wanted to" with the part, and he "didn't want to have an association with one thing in any way degrade [his] effectiveness as an actor in characters."
While promoting his roles in Birdman and Moonrise Kingdom, Norton also explained the obligations of a mainstream franchise would clash with such work. Norton has since said he'd happily return to the MCU. He also confirmed that he harbors no ill will against Mark Ruffalo, who replaced him as Bruce Banner starting in 2012's The Avengers.
Mark Ruffalo Was Actually the Director's First Choice for Hulk
Although Ruffalo was actually Leterrier's first choice for The Incredible Hulk, Marvel wanted Norton because he was "more famous," and Ruffalo only did "smart intellectual films" Now Ruffalo is synonymous with The Hulk, but at the time, he was an unconventional choice because he wasn't a proven leading man in the same way as Norton. That said, much of Marvel's Phase One casting also didn't have the same name recognition as Norton.
Ruffalo appeared as both Bruce Banner and The Hulk in all The Avengers films, as well as Thor: Ragnarok and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. But as Ruffalo himself has acknowledged, he'll never headline in an Incredible Hulk solo film, as Universal Pictures maintains the distribution rights.
Ultimately, while Norton was fine as Bruce Banner, Ruffalo stands apart from the MCU's other leading men with a woolly, bashful charm. He plays Banner as someone uncomfortable in his own skin and fearful of his power, bringing an endearing, low-key pathos to the hero.