The cheap and unnecessary criticism that stung Edward Norton: “Low, unprofessional, and very dishonest”
In 2006, Edward Norton signed up as both star and screenwriter for a blockbuster movie the likes of which he’d never made before—The Incredible Hulk. His initial enthusiasm to bring his intense, thoughtful style to a $150million behemoth turned sour over the next two years, though. By the time the movie was released, it was well-known that the production had been troubled, and Norton had fallen out with the studio. However, when it was announced in 2010 that Norton wouldn’t be returning as the character, the star felt the corporate giant’s treatment of him was decidedly unprofessional.
When Norton agreed to star as Bruce Banner/the Hulk in Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still an idea kicking around in producer Kevin Feige’s head. Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk would be his potential universe’s opening one-two punch, but he truly had no idea how either movie would go over with fans and critics. In truth, there was a world in which both films tanked, and the MCU never got off the ground.
To avoid a horrifying eventuality like this, Feige and Marvel hired one of the most acclaimed actors in Hollywood. Norton was intrigued by the notion of playing a superhero but wanted it written into his contract that he would write a draft of the script in addition to starring. Marvel saw this as a passion for the character, and Norton threw himself into creating all aspects of the movie. However, this passion inadvertently led to a bumpy road while shooting the film.
For starters, Norton’s take on the Hulk was something akin to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. As he told The New York Times, he envisioned the film being “long, dark and serious. If there was ever a thing that I thought had that in it, it was the Hulk. It’s literally the Promethean myth.” However, he admitted that Marvel had a different vision of something lighter, faster, and more action-packed, and they clashed over this fundamental disagreement.
Throughout production, rumours swirled that the “difficult” Norton was constantly rewriting the script, which caused consternation to the director, studio, and his co-stars. Indeed, Tim Roth, who played the villainous Abomination, told Wizard magazine, “There were rewrites every single day. I wouldn’t even bother looking at them until I got in the makeup chair.” Then, when it came time to hit the promotional circuit for the film, Norton was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t do interviews at press junkets, and Entertainment Weekly even reported the rumour that he and Marvel had creative differences.
In truth, it wasn’t shocking when Marvel announced in 2010 that Norton wouldn’t be part of the Avengers cast for the all-conquering 2012 team-up movie. Feige told HitFix, “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.”
Naturally, given that this quote implies that Norton is not an actor who embodies a team player with a collaborative spirit, the actor was incensed. In 2011, he told The Independent, “I found it a cheap and unnecessary representation that it was about things other than money. They came to me avidly to talk about it, and then, at the end of the day, it was just flat-out a business decision.”
Norton felt that Marvel was being “low, unprofessional and very dishonest” by hinting at their behind-the-scenes conflict in public. Still, he insisted their conduct wasn’t causing him undue stress. He mused, “I would say that blew back on them much worse than it blew back on me. I couldn’t have been happier with the experience that I had making the film, but nor do I feel any kind of intensity about doing it again.” After congratulating his pal Mark Ruffalo on replacing him in the role, Norton pointedly said, “Marvel’s going to have to deal with their own karma. They’ve got bigger problems than me.”
In the ensuing years, Norton has gone back and forth a few times regarding how he feels about Marvel. Sometimes, he takes shots at them, such as when he joked, “I thought we should try to make one Marvel movie that was as good as the worst Chris Nolan movie, but what the hell was I thinking.” On other occasions, he’ll maintain, “I had a great time doing it. I got on great with Kevin Feige.”
Unsurprisingly, though, Marvel and Feige don’t tend to mention Norton at all, and why would they? In Ruffalo, they got the team player they always wanted.
