Mark Ruffalo
I read the director originally chose RUFFALO at the start! So why didn't they just use him in the FIRST PLACE for this movie?!!!
shareNorton has the bigger name.
I mean, had.
MovieChat Forums > The Incredible Hulk (2008) Discussion > Mark Ruffalo
I had no Idea Ruffalo was the first choice.
shareIronically, Norton was cast over Ruffalo because apparently Marvel INSISTED IT! Lol, you know Marvel had to regret this decision given the fall out they had with the well-known egomaniac (don’t hate the messenger). Today, I doubt they would even hire him based on his reputation. Yup, Marvel was different and took less risks back when they started this “idea”.
I’m rather glad Ruffalo didn’t appear in The Incredible Hulk though. Reason? He made his debut as Bruce Banner in a far better film—and frankly it felt more appropriate. I comfortably prefer him in the role over Norton, too. Norton himself did a fine job as Bruce, but unlike those who thought he was superior, Ruffalo in my eyes owned the role the second he took it and showed up in The Avengers. He not only brought the right amount of depth and complexity to the part, but he’s always been charming as Bruce in a way that I could never see Norton be (I’ve seen enough of his work).
Fast forward to 5 years later, and the vulnerability, state of confusion & paranoia, and the comedic chops Ruffalo showed in Thor: Ragnarok was nothing short of brilliant. So happy he was cast as Bruce Banner.
Agreed, I wonder how marvel felt after they had to go back to Ruffalo, but it sure did work out in the end because he's an excellent banner and very funny.
shareUnless they came up with some excuses, they might’ve been apologetic+honest with Ruffalo and flat out told him that they made a serious mistake by not giving him the role in the first place. XD
But yeah, it all worked out for the best.
With Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. And a more traditional Hulk story. Plus, I’d tie Tony Stark into his origins, which would be closer to his comic book origins than trying to tie it into the Super Soldier program that created Captain America.
(Honestly, Wolverine and Deadpool’s origins are more tied to the Super Soldier program than Hulk’s is)
I’d forget the 2003 film and this would be mostly a flashback tale in the first act when a radiation missile test goes awry, and Dr. Bruce Banner, seeing a teenager driving a car on the desert flats where the tests were taking place, pushes him into a nearby ditch while he gets irradiated and left for dead. When the dust settles, reports of a huge grey creature seen in the area prompts law authorities to hunt for it.
Years pass, and Banner resurfaces as does his now viridian-hued alter ego now fully in the sights of a general hellbent on making the Hulk a living weapon, his daughter who was once in love with Bruce, and a foreign soldier determined to bring down the beast on a UN-sanctioned mission. All Bruce wants to know is what exactly happened to him, and after seeing a live news report with Tony Stark revealing to the world he’s Iron Man, Bruce knows where to go and actually confronts the new hero.
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