Mark Ruffalo has enjoyed a great deal of success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Hulk but if you've been following the franchise since its inception, you're well aware that the Green Goliath was originally played by Edward Norton, who left the role shortly after the Incredible Hulk was released.
For the longest time, fans have been curious if there's any animosity between the two actors but apparently, Ruffalo and Norton have maintained a good friendship. Appearing at Emerald City Comic-Con (via The Direct), Ruffalo recalled reaching out to Norton and how awkward it was being his official Hulk replacement, especially after Robert Downey Jr. announced his casting at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con.
He shared: "Awkward. (laughs) No, I mean, I didn’t talk to him, but I reached out to him, as we do now when we don’t want to talk. And I was like, ‘Hey, man,’ and he’s like, ‘No, it’s fine.’ I mean, it was weird. It was even weird when Robert Downey Jr., at Comic-Con [in 2010], when introducing me, said, ‘And now reprising the role of the Hulk, is Mark Ruffalo.’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah– Huh?’"
He also believes that Norton wasn't fully committed to his MCU role at the time and it left him with the assumption that the Incredible Hulk star was more than willing to hand over the reins. Ruffalo added: "But you know, Ed’s… I don’t think… I don’t know how attached to it Ed was, you know, ultimately. I think he was like, ‘Oh, thank God. Let Ruffalo deal with it.’ But he’s been beautiful. We’re friends. It’s never come up as an issue. I’m blessed."
Also Read: Mark Ruffalo Believes James Gunn’s DCU Jump Spells Trouble for the MCU
I think we can all agree that the Hulk's MCU tenure has been hit and miss but if the rumors of a solo film finally becoming a possibility are true, Ruffalo can finally get his long overdue redemption because honestly, it's been ages since we last saw Hulk at his peak.
Meanwhile, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is streaming on Disney+.
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