Director Jon Favreau Weighs in on the Hulk Recasting for The Avengers
Posted 07.28.10 by BrentJS
There were rumblings for some time that actor Edward Norton might be replaced as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, in future Marvel Studios projects, but it still caused a wave of panic among some dedicated fans when it was finally announced that he would not be asked to return. In fact, an Internet petition that sprang up in support of Norton's return generated nearly 10,000 signatures before it was finally announced at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) that Mark Ruffalo would be taking over the role.
Joss Whedon, the writer-director chosen to unite Marvel's movie franchises in the upcoming super-team movie The Avengers, seemed confident in the decision, saying that Ruffalo was his "first and only choice" for the role. Now, fellow Marvel Studios director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) has weighed in on the change in Hulks, telling IGN that "it's tricky" from a practical standpoint to change actors in major movie franchises.
I know Edward, and I dig the guy's talent tremendously. He's always been a very great guy ... I'm sure that however this comes out, it's going to be something that's amenable to both the filmmaker and the studio. I know that we faced the challenge of recasting [James Rhodes, aka War Machine, in Iron Man 2] with Don Cheadle [replacing] Terrence Howard, and although I think breaking continuity is always a challenge and should be avoided whenever possible, it is the reality of the movie business that sometimes things don't work out.
Favreau is clearly a team player, giving a shout-out to Marvel during his Cowboys and Aliens presentation at SDCC. He told IGN that he hopes to continue his relationship with the studio in the future.
I'm here because of my success with Marvel for the most part. I've felt tremendous creative support, and as they cut their teeth as a studio, I cut my teeth as a big filmmaker. So we've grown a lot together and I am completely invested in the success of that studio. I really want to see the Iron Man stuff play out really well through these other movies and hopefully collaborate in the future.
Ruffalo will portray Bruce Banner/the Hulk in The Avengers and may also appear as the character(s) in other Marvel Studios movies, including a possible sequel to The Incredible Hulk.
Next Showing: The Avengers opens May 4, 2012