Before Mark Ruffalo entered the MCU as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk in 2012’s Avengers, the popular Marvel superhero was earlier played by actors Eric Bana and Edward Norton in the solo films involving the character. With Edward Norton’s departure from the MCU and the character, the franchise went on to cast Mark Ruffalo in the role. The Spotlight actor not only fit in instantly, but was also lauded for the nuances he brought to his performance as The Hulk. But the celebrity said that he endured some uneasy moments when he crossed paths with Edward Norton.
Avengers star Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo and Edward Norton had an awkward reunion
Mark Ruffalo made an appearance at the Emerald City Comic Con to talk about Marvel, the MCU, and much more. During the course of the conversation, the actor revealed that he had an awkward first meeting with former Hulk actor Edward Norton, from whom he took over. Describing the incident, the Dark Waters star confessed that,
“No, I mean, I didn’t talk to him, but I reached out to him, as we do now when we don’t want to talk. And I was like, ‘Hey, man,’ and he’s like, ‘No, it’s fine.’ I mean, it was weird.
Actors Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo
He further stated that Robert Downey Jr. added salt to the wound in 2010 by introducing him to Edward Norton as the man who is reprising the role of The Hulk. The actors though had a laugh about it later and are good friends as well.
This is the truth behind Edward Norton’s exit as The Hulk
Edward Norton’s film The Incredible Hulk was the second MCU film to be released following the blockbuster success of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. Despite favourable reviews and a decent collection at the box office, the film did not take Marvel to the heights that Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. did. In addition, there were reports that Edward Norton had creative differences with the producers of the film, leading to multiple edits in the script.
Edward Norton as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk
Owing to this alleged clash between the star and the production house, Marvel announced during the filming of Captain America: The First Avenger, that Mark Ruffalo will officially replace Edward Norton in the role of Bruce Banner. The Primal Fear actor though never openly expressed regret about missing out on the future films of the MCU.
