For months, there’s been speculation that Marvel Studios might replace Ed Norton in the role of Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk for the upcoming Avengers (2012) film. Well, on July 10, it was confirmed that another, as yet unnamed, actor would be taking on the role.
In the studio’s official statement, Marvel president, Kevin Feige, said the following:
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.
In an article that I wrote in February 2010, I mentioned one scenario that might make it unnecessary for an actor of Ed Norton’s stature to play the role of Banner. It may be that in the Avengers’ story, Banner is unable to transform out of his Hulk state and never actually appears in the film. In the previous article, I also included a video by MTV’s movie site that presents a few possible replacements for Norton. Check it out and let me know if you think any of these actors could play the brilliant Dr. Banner.