I'm sure you have all heard the story - or stories - behind Edward Norton not returning to play Bruce Banner/The Hulk in Joss Whedon's The Avengers. After playing the character in The Incredible Hulk it was more or less assumed that it was a done deal, and he would be back to reprise the role. But this was not to be - the reasons why would depend on who you asked about it. Some took Norton's side, some Marvel's, but I'm sure most people think it's moot now anyway as we ended up with a pretty great replacement in Mark Ruffalo. But how is Norton feeling about the whole thing now that the movie is out?..
Mark is like a brother to me," he said, praising "Avengers" star Mark Ruffalo's commitment to his work overall. "Besides, he's got two kids, and I'm really happy he gets to have this moment with them," he continued. When I asked him if he'd actually seen the film yet, that's when he admitted that he had not, and that it hadn't been a priority.
That excerpt is from Drew McWeeny's Cannes interview with the actor, who is there to promote Wes Anderson's new movie
Moonrise Kingdom, and McWeeny is quick to point out that although his response to being asked about
The Avengers comes across as dismissive in print, it didn't in context of the interview which was mainly focused on his work in that. Personally I can understand whey he hasn't rushed out to see it yet. Whatever the reasons for him not returning to the role, there is no doubt that he was passionate and committed to the character while he was involved in that universe. He's moved on to other things, and perhaps there is still some disappointment about how things worked out. Anyway, what do you guys make of his comments?