The Avengers directed by Joss Whedon due 2012: Edward Norton rejected

19 July 2010

John Howell

The Avengers is the upcoming Marvel film directed by Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy and Firefly) that features a who's who of Marvel's popular super hero characters in a single, epic production. The confirmed Avengers cast is impressive: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Donald Blake/Thor, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Scarlett Johansson as Natalia Romanova/Black Widow, and Chris Evans as Captain America. A rumoured plot involves The Hulk as the movie's villain, but little of the screenplay's details have been revealed.

Edward Norton, who played the  giant green genetic mutant, The Hulk, in Marvel's 2008 film The Incredible Hulk (a remake of sorts of Eric Bana's The Hulk in 2003) was tipped to also be joining the cast. However, Marvel Studios has now announced that they have decided not to cast Edward Norton in the key role of Bruce Banner. According to HitFix, Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige revealed that:

"We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers. 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. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks."

Sounds like an angry press release to me! A rep for Norton responded to the statement to Hitfix, calling it "purposefully misleading" and claiming that his client had been in discussions to return to the role.

"This offensive statement from Kevin Feige at Marvel is a purposefully misleading, inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light," he said. "Here are the facts: two months ago, Kevin called me and said he wanted Edward to reprise the role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers. He told me it would be his fantasy to bring Edward on stage with the rest of the cast at [Comic-Con] and make it the event of the convention. When I said that Edward was definitely open to this idea, Kevin was very excited and we agreed that Edward should meet with Joss Whedon to discuss the project. Edward and Joss had a very good meeting (confirmed by Feige to me) at which Edward said he was enthusiastic at the prospect of being a part of the ensemble cast.

"Marvel subsequently made him a financial offer to be in the film and both sides started negotiating in good faith," the press rep told Hitfix. "This past Wednesday, after several weeks of civil, uncontentious discussions, but before we had come to terms on a deal, a representative from Marvel called to say they had decided to go in another direction with the part. This seemed to us to be a financial decision but, whatever the case, it is completely their prerogative, and we accepted their decision with no hard feelings. We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige's mean spirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in The Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his. Feige's statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory. Mr. Norton's talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel's fans."

Finally, the actor himself has responded on his Facebook page, revealing that he appreciates "the outpouring of support from fans of The Hulk and The Avengers" and feels that it would be rude not to have responded.

"It seems it won't work out for me to continue playing Bruce Banner for Marvel in The Avengers," Norton said. "I sincerely hoped it could happen and be great for everyone, but it hasn't turned out as well as hoped. I know this is disappointing to many people and that makes me sad. But I am very sincerely grateful to Marvel for extending the offer and even more so for giving me the chance to be a part of the Hulk's long and excellent history."

Whatever the real reasons for Edward Norton being rejected from the role, it is sad to see him go. Norton is an impressive actor and I thought the last Hulk film was vastly superior to the Eric Bana version. Clearly there was something going on behind the scenes.

According to EOnline, Mark Ruffalo (who co-starred in Shutter Island and Blindness) is now in talks to play The Hulk instead.

The Avengers without Edward Norton is scheduled for release in 2012.

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