The Incredible Hulk and Norton’s Legacy

When the first Incredible Hulk hit theaters in 2008, it was a summer blockbuster smash. But that movie was more than just a fun summer action flick; it introduced a new generation to the Marvel universe and cemented Edward Norton’s iconic portrayal of Bruce Banner as one of the most compelling characters in modern pop culture. Despite being a huge success, the film isn’t without its controversy. Norton disagreed with producer and MCU chief Kevin Feige over the final edit of the film, which stripped away some of the character development in favor of more action. In the end, Feige replaced Norton with Mark Ruffalo for future MCU content starting with 2012’s The Avengers.

In the years since, Norton has starred in films like American History X (1998), The Score (2000), Down in the Valley (2002), and The Illusionist (2006), and received critical acclaim for his roles in The Taking of Pelham 1212 (2008), American Reunion (2010), and Bleed for This (2011). In addition to acting, he has also directed and written a few films, including Keeping the Faith (2000) and the forthcoming Motherless Brooklyn (2015). Norton and his wife Salma Hayek have two children together, son Atlas and daughter Isabelle.

The main point of disagreement between Norton and Feige over the original film was that it focused too much on Bruce’s human side and not enough on his transformation into the Hulk. Norton was a fan of the Bill Bixby TV series and wanted to play a similarly intense version of the character. But Leterrier pushed back against the idea of a neurotic Banner, choosing to focus on the feral aspect of the character.

That version of the Hulk was a powerful and terrifying beast who wasn’t always in control of himself. It was a more interesting take on the character than the more traditionally heroic superhero version that has been seen in the MCU.

Sadly, it seems like Marvel has moved on from the idea of exploring Hulk’s wilder aspects. It could be that the studio would rather have a more in-control hero for its movies, but there are plenty of ways to explore a feral killing machine if someone was willing to do it.

After 15 years, it seemed like The Incredible Hulk was completely out of the MCU’s continuity. But then William Hurt returned as General Thunderbolt Ross for Captain America: Civil War and Tim Roth reprised his role as Emil Blonsky / Abomination for both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Now, with 2022 fast approaching, it looks like The Incredible Hulk is finally ready to make a comeback. All it needs is a director and screenwriter who are willing to do the job right.