Actor Edward Norton won’t shed any tears over the fact he won’t be reprising the role of the Hulk in the forthcoming “Avengers” feature.
Playing a split personality character in an ensemble piece is hardly acting catnip.
But the news is still sour for the intense actor.
Just c0nsider the public statement Marvel made regarding the casting change:
“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.
Clear enough for ya?
Hollywood types, from studio reps to actors, rarely slam a colleague in public. But this statement directly calls out Norton’s behavior with the 2008 “Hulk” reboot.
Norton won’t miss playing Bruce Banner one more time. But he may have trouble getting other gigs if his reputation plays out.
WWTW met Norton a few years ago at an event in Baltimore. I waited … and waited … for my five minute interview with the actor to begin. After an hour or so I asked the press reps if Norton had a change or heart regarding our chat. Would the interview still happen? What was the deal?
Turns out Norton didn’t want any questions prying into his relationship with then-girlfriend Salma Hayek. Once I assured him I wouldn’t go there, I got my five minutes.
I hadn’t planned any personal questions of that kind anyway, and Hayek was there, too, so it wasn’t like their relationship was a secret.
That memory came to mind reading the Marvel statement – and the various reports of how difficult Norton can be on a film set. He clearly cares about his projects, but it’s hard to take a stand on artistic grounds when you’re making a movie about an angry green giant.
UPDATE: Norton fires back at Marvel’s comments – or, at least, his people do the honors for him.
UPDATE, Part II: Norton himself addresses the brouhaha.
(Photo: The Hulk character, seen here in the 2008 film of the same name, won’t be played by Edward Norton in his human form for the upcoming “Avengers” movie.)
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What’s Bill Bixby doing? Is he still alive?
It’s not exactly news that Norton is kind of a pain in the ass to work with. You can look back to the famous clash over “American History X,” where he essentially wrestled away control of the film’s edit from the director, who became so angry that he wanted his name removed. The last thing “The Avengers” needs is a huge ego when you have several high-profile actors already involved.
Agreed … but here’s an example where it not only cost him a role, the folks behind the role went public with their complaints against him. Up till now, I think the buzz on Norton has been bad. This puts a spotlight on his behavior and says a studio would suffer a continuity issue rather than deal with him. Interesting …
And now Norton’s agent has responded to the charges. Because nothing says “heartfelt, sincere apology” like having your agent put out a statement for you.
To be honest, I’ve never cared for him. I think all the praise surrounding him is ridiculous. He seems overly self aware of himself in every role he has been in.
Banner won’t be in Avengers much anyway, this isn’t a big deal and it isn’t a suprise that this would happen.
Regrettably, Bill Bixby died in 1993, Outlaw13.