Unveiling the Unusual: Edward Norton’s Peculiar Changes to THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Zak Penn, the writer of The Incredible Hulk, recently opened up about the 2008 film and shed light on some peculiar alterations made by actor Edward Norton to the script. Penn expressed confusion over these changes, characterizing them as rather trivial and speculating that Norton may have made them to secure a Writers Guild of America (WGA) credit for himself.
In his revelations within the “MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios” book, Penn delved into the specifics of Norton’s script adjustments, citing instances like changing the protagonist’s direction on the street and tweaking the name of a minor character from Lorina to something akin to Malina. Penn also lamented a significant modification Norton made to the movie’s conclusion, remarking on a scene where General Ross, played by William Hurt, originally threw Bruce Banner out of a helicopter—a shocking moment that Norton relocated to a later point in the film when Banner opts to jump into Harlem.
Penn expressed bewilderment over this change, questioning the logic of having Banner jump into an area where he could potentially harm civilians. He stated that the original version featuring the helicopter scene would have been a captivating moment, leaving him puzzled by Norton’s alteration.
Interestingly, many of Norton’s adjustments didn’t make it to the final cut, as they were discarded during post-production. Notably, one such change involved delaying the appearance of The Hulk until 40 minutes into the movie—an alteration that contributed to Norton’s refusal to promote the film. Marvel Studios, displeased with Norton’s behavior, publicly parted ways with the actor, subsequently replacing him with Mark Ruffalo.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, The Incredible Hulk managed to achieve a decent standing as a film, although its global box office earnings capped at $264 million.
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Originally posted 2023-11-22 12:46:23.