OK, they didn’t actually say those words, but between the lines….
Marvel has thrown down the gauntlet regarding it’s upcoming Avengers movie which teams the characters Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Nick Fury, Black Widow and several others by officially announcing that they won’t be calling on Edward Norton to reprise his role as Bruce Banner.
Norton caused a lot of headaches when he got into a well documented dispute with execs over the script and the movie’s direction. Long story short: The notoriously difficult Norton refused to promote the film, the movie did OK at the box office, but was far from the huge draw Iron Man did (both were released the same summer). Norton blamed the studio, the studio blamed him.
Rumour was floating around that Marvel was now going for a lesser known actor due to monetary reasons. Then last night, the studio released a fairly blunt statement (by Hollywood standards) clarifying their position.
“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.”
Oh, snap.
No word from Edward Norton or his spokesminions over the jab (honest as it may be). Of course, people are already lining up to take sides, some saying Marvel is out of line while others are saying this is simply karma.
Wonder what Eric Bana’s doing? He originated the role in Ang Lee’s boring existential version of The Hulk several years ago, and made a great Bruce Banner.
UPDATE – Norton’s agent has responded to Marvel’s statement and predictably isn’t pleased with what he (and obviously his client) deems as a personal attack, not to mention the lost commission on a potentially huge paycheck.
“This offensive statement from Kevin Feige at Marvel is a purposefully misleading, inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light. Here are the facts: two months ago, Kevin called me and said he wanted Edward to reprise the role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers. He told me it would be his fantasy to bring Edward on stage with the rest of the cast at ComiCon and make it the event of the convention. When I said that Edward was definitely open to this idea, Kevin was very excited and we agreed that Edward should meet with Joss Whedon to discuss the project. Edward and Joss had a very good meeting (confirmed by Feige to me) at which Edward said he was enthusiastic at the prospect of being a part of the ensemble cast. Marvel subsequently made him a financial offer to be in the film and both sides started negotiating in good faith. This past Wednesday, after several weeks of civil, uncontentious discussions, but before we had come to terms on a deal, a representative from Marvel called to say they had decided to go in another direction with the part. This seemed to us to be a financial decision but, whatever the case, it is completely their prerogative, and we accepted their decision with no hard feelings.
We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige’s mean spirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his. Feige’s statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory. Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel’s fans.
Brian Swardstrom
WME”
Oh, whaaaaaa!
Another problem with Edward Norton is (allegedly) he has to be the only star on the set. Normally this would be a problem on almost any production, but it becomes an out and out impossibility when dealing with an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downy Jr, Scarlet Johansen and Samuel L. Jackson.
If Eric Bana is unavailable may I suggest Adiran Brody? As the newly released Predators has just proved, he looks great half naked.
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