One-time Marvel star Edward Norton, who played Bruce Banner-slash-Hulk in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, is open to returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Norton provided an uncredited reworking of The Incredible Hulk’s script and famously clashed with Marvel over final cut of the Louis Leterrier-directed followup to Marvel’s first independent effort — blockbuster hit Iron Man. Norton’s reported behind-the-scenes difficulty on Hulk led to his being ousted from the role and replaced with Mark Ruffalo from 2012’s The Avengers onward. When announcing the decision to move on from Norton in 2010, Marvel said in a statement the choice was “definitely not one based on monetary factors” and that the studio instead needed “an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit” of its Avengers ensemble.

“Yeah, why not? I had a lot of fun with it,” Norton said on Larry King Now when asked if he’d return to the Marvel universe. “I never made a movie like that.” Asked if he was “surprised” Marvel cast him in the role, Norton answered, “No, I was a good fit for Bruce Banner. So is Mark Ruffalo, he’s fantastic.”

 
“I mean, Mark and I came up together in New York. He’s like one of the best, and people always try to create fake arguments and stuff. But it’s like doing Hamlet,” Norton continued. “The Hulk, it’s like, Bill Bixby was great, Eric Bana was great, I hope I was good, Mark’s great. I think it’s just one of those things a lot of great actors are gonna get to do.”

More recently, in October, Norton said he had plans for a pair of Hulk movies that skewed darker than Marvel’s plans.

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