Why Edward Norton was sacked as Hulk by Marvel with Mark Ruffalo replacing him

Mark Ruffalo has surged to the top in Hollywood courtesy of his iconic portrayal as Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that has made him a prominent face in the industry. 

However, to imagine that role belonging to Edward Norton now -- like it could have been after The Incredible Hulk -- is an idea quite hard to digest.

Norton essayed the role of the superhero in the lowest-grossing MCU film, The Incredible Hulk, released in 2008, and could have easily been part of the future films that went on to shake up the world, had he not been axed.

Reports circulating have suggested that the reason Norton was asked to leave from the franchise, with Ruffalo later taking place, was because he was difficult to work with on set.

It was also revealed that Norton had insisted on rewriting the script for the film himself upon his dissatisfaction with the writers.

Norton had recently addressed the dismissal during the roast of Bruce Willis, as he said: “I tried to be like you. I did a big action movie called The Incredible Hulk. You know what went wrong? I wanted a better script.”

Another report by Deadline has also described the actor as a “wolf in the hen house.”

The decision of firing Norton was also addressed back in 2010 by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige who said: “Our decision is definitely not 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.”

Responding to Feige’s statement, a spokesperson for Norton had said the decision was based on financial reasons. He also termed the remarks by Feige as “mean-spirited, unprofessional, disingenuous, and clearly defamatory.”

After that, Norton had also released a statement to Entertainment Weekly, saying: “Like so many people, I’ve loved the story of The Hulk since I was a kid, so it was thrilling when Marvel asked me to write and help produce an altogether new screen incarnation, as well as play Bruce Banner.

“I grew up reading Marvel Comics and always loved the mythic dimension and contemporary themes in the stories, and I’m proud of the script I wrote. In every phase of production, including editing, working with Louis Leterrier has been wonderful.

“I’ve never had a better partner, and the collaboration with all the rest of the creative team has been terrific. Every good movie gets forged through collaboration, and different ideas among people who are all committed and respect the validity of each other’s opinions is the heart of filmmaking.

“Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a ‘dispute,’ seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen.

“It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them.

“All of us believe The Incredible Hulk will excite old fans and create new ones and be a huge hit…our focus has always been to deliver the Hulk that people have been waiting for and keep the worldwide love affair with the big green guy going strong.”