Mark Ruffalo has been playing Hulk for such a long time now that it’s practically impossible not to think of him the moment someone mentions the Green Avenger. However, he isn’t the first person to play Hulk. Many actors have had a go at playing live-action versions of the character including Edward Norton.
Before getting replaced by Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton helped build the foundation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk. While it has been more than a decade since the film, it might interest you that Edward Norton almost made a comeback to the MCU. Yes, you read that right. Marvel Studios had a bit of a discussion about bringing Edward Norton back to replace Mark Ruffalo in the post-Avengers: Endgame world.
Did Edward Norton Almost Replace Mark Ruffalo?
The story could have come to a full circle with Edward Norton replacing Mark Ruffalo in the MCU after the latter replaced the former in the first place. In an interview with The Direct, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law director, Kat Coiro talked about the return of Abomination in the show and how there was a discussion about bringing Norton back too.
For context, She-Hulk saw the return of a much-loved actor, Tim Roth. Roth reprised his role as Abomination in the Disney+ series, a character he played against Norton in The Incredible Hulk. Coiro stated,
“There was a lot of talk about the fact that the last time they were together a different actor was playing the Hulk. And Mark made quite a few jokes about that. And we did entertain the idea of swapping Mark out for Edward Norton. But that did not come to pass.”
Bringing Norton back for a project isn’t completely insane, especially after Spider-Man: No Way Home brought three different worlds together to create an epic movie. Do you think Norton’s return could have saved She-Hulk from the avalanche of negative reviews from fans?
Mark Ruffalo Talks about Edward Norton
While Ruffalo does a pretty incredible job being Hulk, it must not have been easy for him to pick up from where Norton left off. At the Emerald City Comic-Com, Ruffalo stated that his first interaction with the Glass Onion actor was nothing less than awkward.
“Awkward. No, I mean, I didn’t talk to him, but I reached out to him…And I was like, ‘Hey man,’ and he was like, ‘No, it’s fine.’ I mean it was weird. It was even [more] weird when Robert Downey Jr., at Comic-Con [2010], when introducing me, said, ‘And now reprising the role of the Hulk, is Mark Ruffalo.’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah – huh.’”
Ruffalo also clarified that the replacement was never a problem between him and Norton. The Dark Waters actor stated that Norton was relieved and that the two have been on good terms. He said, “I think he was like, ‘Oh thank God. Let Ruffalo deal with it.’ But he’s been beautiful. We’re friends. It’s never come up as an issue. I’m blessed.”
Looks like everything is A-okay between the two actors and there’s no bad blood! Both Norton and Ruffalo brought different styles to Hulk and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the Avenger!
You can stream She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+ and The Incredible Hulk on HBO Max.
Source: The Direct
