Seeing all three movie Hulks together doing what Hulk does best is a mouth-watering prospect that would surely get butts in seats in the same way that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” did in 2021. But similar to Eric Bana, actor Edward Norton is likely to have reservations about returning to the role given his own negative experience with Marvel.
Norton’s time starring in “The Incredible Hulk” was marked by a series of unfortunate events. While initially turning down the role, Norton had a change of heart after meeting with director Louis Leterrier and learning that he’d be able to rewrite the script. However, following a rough-cut presentation, Marvel ordered an array of changes to help make the film more palpable for audiences. This meant that much of the carefully crafted character development and slower moments that Norton imbued into the story were tossed out, which birthed conflict between the actor and the studio.
While the three-time Oscar nominee has stated that much of the drama has been misrepresented, he has also not expressed much interest in making a comeback. In a 2014 interview with NPR (via The Hollywood Reporter), Norton shared that starring in later MCU entries may have led to typecasting, halting his desire to star in more varied projects. “I think you can sort of do anything once, but if you do it too many times, it can become a suit that’s hard to take off, in other peoples’ eyes,” he said.
A massive Hulk crossover would certainly be a dream come true for fans and potentially save the hero’s reputation on the big screen. But at the moment, the chances of ever seeing that happen are as likely as getting the Hulk to calm down.
