Marvel will recast The Hulk for “Avengers” movie

Marvel producer Kevin Feige has confirmed reports that surfaced earlier this weekend that Edward Norton will not be reprising his role as Bruce Banner/The Hulk for the superhero film of all superhero films, “The Avengers.” HitFix received word exclusively from Feige, who implied Norton was not enough of an ensemble actor for this film. The statement caused Norton’s agent to fire back.

This was Feige’s statement released to HitFix:

“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.”

It sounds to me that Feige is saying that Norton is not a team player. I don’t think that would be reading too far into this. Considering if all the other actors embody creativity and team spirit, then apparently Norton doesn’t. It would certainly be much easier for Feige to say what everyone was speculating, that they didn’t want to add another hefty salary.

To see Norton’s agent’s response and the rest of this story, click here