The Hulk is a classic favorite among Marvel fans because, aside from his incredible strength, he has a massive heart. His willingness to do anything to protect those he cares about makes him even more endearing.
But it’s the actor Mark Ruffalo who has given a lovable charm to the big green guy who loves to smash people. The first Hulk the Marvel fans saw was Norton, who was all about Bruce Banner – no voice acting, no Hulk movements.
But Ruffalo, on the other hand, multitasked the characters – the science guy (Bruce Banner) and the green rage monster (Hulk). But do fans know that Ruffalo was almost the Hulk before he was the Hulk?
Mark Ruffalo was the First Choice For The Hulk Before Edward Norton
Back in the day, before the Hulk was introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, director Louis Leterrier had his eyes on Mark Ruffalo for the role. As the director told the Empire:
“I’ve known Mark for quite a while. I met him on my Hulk a long time ago and it was funny – Marvel didn’t go with him first time around.”
Marvel wanted Norton because he was more famous at the time. Mainly due to his commercial successes in Red Dragon (2002) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).
That’s how Norton secured the role first in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. But fate played its game again as Norton stepped back from the role, and Ruffalo took over the MCU’s biggest recasting yet. The Dark Waters star has been playing Bruce Banner/The Hulk from 2012’s The Avengers since.
Why did Marvel Replace Edward Norton with Mark Ruffalo for the Hulk?
Edward Norton would still be playing the giant green hero in the Avengers movies. But the backstage drama led to him being swapped for Ruffalo.
Reports after the film’s release suggested that Norton was difficult to work with on set. He even caused issues on rewriting the script.
In 2010, shortly after announcing The Avengers at the San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige released a statement covering why the studio decided to fire Norton (via CBR):
“Our decision is definitely not 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.”
Per the same source, Norton’s agent fired back, calling Feige’s comments “mean-spirited, unprofessional, disingenuous, and clearly defamatory.”
Later, it was revealed that Marvel Studios wanted a more action-packed film with a runtime of under two hours. That is why, Norton and director Louis Leterrier clashed with Marvel over the film’s duration.
