Mark Ruffalo Says He Initially Didn’t Want to Replace Ed Norton, Suggested Joaquin Phoenix as Hulk When Kevin Feige Offered Him the Role

Amongst all the heroes from Marvel Comics, Hulk is one of the more popular ones. Originally just a scientist, Bruce Banner goes through a horrible accident that exposes him to Gamma rays, making him the angry giant, Hulk.

Related: “Anytime They Want to Do It I’m Here”: Even After a Decade in MCU, Mark Ruffalo Is Still Excited for a Solo Hulk Movie, Sends a Message to Marvel’s Boss Kevin Feige

The Green Brute has most famously been portrayed by Mark Ruffalo, with Edward Norton and Eric Bana also giving interesting takes on the complicated character. Despite all the great actors playing the character, Marvel still doesn’t have a definite movie.

Edward Norton was fired from being Hulk?

Previously known as a Hollywood heavyweight, Edward Norton has starred in some great films including Fight Club, American History X, Birdman, and many more. But the actor is also famous for being difficult to work with, leading to bad blood in the industry and starring in fewer movies.

Also read: She-Hulk Trailer Finally Acknowledges the Majestic Beauty That is The Incredible Hulk After Years of MCU Treating It as an Outcast

You may also like: It’s Official: Disney Revises New MCU Timeline To Make Edward Norton’s The Incredible Hulk Finally Part of the Marvel Saga

The actor faced similar issues while starring in MCU’s The Incredible Hulk as the titular character. He was reported to have many altercations with Marvel’s Kevin Feige over the final cut of his film, leading to him getting fired. Although he has denied the rumors, it’s one of the more popular theories out there.

Mark Ruffalo goes all green

After Edward Norton was fired, Mark Ruffalo was offered to play the Hulk/Bruce Banner. Despite the great opportunity, the actor was reluctant to join and suggested many other actors as better suited for the role.

Read more:  Mark Ruffalo’s Next Solo ‘World War Hulk’ To Begin Filming In 2022

Some of the actors he recommended included Joaquin Phoenix, Sean Penn, and many more. He commented on the same in an interview with BBC Radio 1:

“I tried to talk him out of the part and let you know Joaquin is available now sean penn’s available you know there’s a lot better people for this part than me…”

Check out:  “Marvel needs to stop her from giving interviews”: She-Hulk Creator Jessica Gao Says MCU Has Moved On From The Blip, Fans Irked For Trivializing Trauma With Lazy Writing

Since his casting as Hulk/Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo has gone on to star in many other installments of MCU films but hasn’t been in a standalone movie of his character. The actor last portrayed Hulk in Jessica Gao’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as a supporting character.

Source: YouTube