Marvel Studios vs. Edward Norton - Round Two
Posted 07.12.10 by BrentJS
Apparently, when it comes to negotiating a contract, you don't play hardball with Marvel Studios. Just ask Terrence Howard, who found that out the hard way when he was quickly replaced with Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2 after a contract dispute. Now, another actor who brought a Marvel superhero to life on screen has been unceremoniously ousted after squabbling with Marvel over money.
This past weekend, Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige confirmed to HitFix that Edward Norton would be replaced as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, in the upcoming Marvel super-team movie The Avengers. In Feige's statement, he said that Norton did not share the "creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members." Now, Norton's agent has fired back a response to Feige's incendiary statement in what is becoming known in comic book fan circles as "Nortongate."
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 [The Avengers director] 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
Feige's statement couldn't have been made at a worse time for Marvel Studios. With the San Diego Comic-Con less than two weeks away, the negative buzz in the fan community regarding his comments about Norton is sure to at least partially cloud what was supposed to be Marvel's first big push for The Avengers.
Next Showing: The Avengers is scheduled to open May 4, 2012