The Incredible Hulk stuntman Terry Notary reveals that Edward Norton was not very interested in his role as the Hulk and compares him unfavorably to Tim Roth.
The Incredible Hulk, released in 2008, was the second installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, a scientist who transforms into the Hulk when angry. The movie received mixed reviews from critics and fans and remains the lowest-grossing MCU film to date. Norton was replaced by Mark Ruffalo in subsequent MCU appearances of the Hulk.
In a new book by Joanna Robinson titled MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, stuntman and motion capture specialist Terry Notary, who worked on The Incredible Hulk as well as other MCU projects, opens up about his experience with Norton. Notary criticizes Norton’s lack of engagement in the CGI shooting for his Hulk performance, saying that he was “not very present” and only interested in the scenes where he was transforming from Banner to Hulk.
“[Norton] wasn’t really engaged, as far as the Hulk stuff goes, unless he was transforming from himself into the Hulk. He was not very present through the whole thing,” Notary said.
Roth’s Involvement and Dedication
Notary contrasted Norton’s attitude with that of Tim Roth, who played Emil Blonsky, a soldier who becomes the villainous Abomination after injecting himself with a serum derived from Banner’s blood. Notary praised Roth’s involvement and dedication to his character, saying that he was “one of those quintessential actors” who wanted to make sure that he and his character looked good.
“[Roth is] one of those quintessential actors that likes to be involved, wants to make sure that he’s going to look good and his character’s going to look good,” Notary said.
Notary also revealed that Roth did most of his own stunts and even broke his ribs during a fight scene with Norton. Roth previously said that he enjoyed playing Abomination and would be open to returning to the MCU.
Norton’s Creative Clashes with Marvel Studios
Norton’s disinterest in his role as the Hulk was not the only issue that plagued The Incredible Hulk production. The actor also had creative clashes with Marvel Studios over the script and the editing of the film. Norton agreed to play Banner on the condition that he would be able to rewrite Zak Penn’s screenplay, but his version was rejected by Marvel. Norton also wanted a darker and more serious tone for the film, which did not align with Marvel’s vision.
Norton was so unhappy with the final cut of the film that he refused to promote it upon its release. He also demanded more money than Marvel was willing to pay him for future appearances as the Hulk. Marvel eventually decided to recast the role with Ruffalo, who was director Louis Leterrier’s original choice for Banner.
Norton has since moved on from his MCU experience and said that he has no regrets about leaving the franchise. He also praised Ruffalo’s performance as the Hulk and said that he is a fan of his work.
