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It's been a wild few days ever since it was announced that Edward Norton would not be reprising his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk in The Avengers. Surprisingly – and despite the fact that The Incredible Hulk was only a moderate hit – fans were pretty outraged about the whole thing and bashed Marvel for not going after Norton harder. Almost immediately we heard that Joaquin Phoenix was up for the role, and now Deadline reports that Mark Ruffalo is in advance talks to take on the part vacated by Norton.
Ruffalo, who you've seen pop up in the background of films like Shutter Island and the more recent The Kids Are All Right, is a great choice on Marvel's part, and a much smarter one than Joaquin Phoenix. After all, Phoenix had that whole thing where he left acting to become a belligerent rapper for a year and made a documentary about it with Casey Affleck. Needless to say, I don't blame Marvel for going in a different direction just in case this Phoenix thing blows up into something far more uncomfortable and Mel Gibson-esque.
What Ruffalo brings to the role is experience working with complex characters. I personally feel Ruffalo is one of the best actors working today – it's just … he's a fader. He fades into the background too much. Maybe this will give him a chance to play a big role on an even bigger stage – and I truly hope he knocks it out of the ballpark. The guy deserves it!
What do you think about Mark Ruffalo taking over as Hulk? Good choice? Bad one?
