The Hulk has some fairly obvious anger issues and, let’s face it, he’s not exactly a team player. The same might be said of Edward Nortonn, who was fired two weeks ago after Marvel released quite the harsh statement saying he would not be returning in “The Avengers.”

Per E!:

“Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members,” said Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige in a statement. “The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H., Chris E., Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”

Wow, I’ve never seen a man so elegantly punched in the balls in a press release before. That translates to ‘Norton is just a pain in the arse who wants to run the show. We want an actor that does as he’s effing told no matter how awful the script is.’ Norton was going to be a key player in a cast led by Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and also featuring Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Jeremy Renner is also on board to play Hawkeye, the headstrong costumed archer. The film could also possibly feature Don Cheadle as War Machine, but a few weeks back Cheadle said he was in a wait-and-see mode on that. But now just who will play the Hulk? Fiege made it a point to say they wouldn’t be casting an unknown – and they didn’t. The job now belongs to Mark Ruffalo!

Per Huffington Post:

“It’s like Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet, a new actor gets a crack at it every year,” Ruffalo told the LA Times. “But really it’s all heady stuff. It’s exciting to be here. It’s great to be a part of all this.”

Ruffalo has proven himself in a wide range of very different roles. As much as I will miss Norton as Hulk, this looks to me like excellent news. I’m willing to give him the chance!

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