Persona non grata
Recently, author Joanna Robinson released a book titled “MCU: Marvel Studios Reign” which is gaining a lot of attention due to the valuable information and scoops it reveals. This book also discusses some internal issues, including the fact that two individuals have been visibly banned by Kevin Feige, the historic producer and mastermind of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The first individual is Edward Norton, who portrayed the Hulk in the MCU’s 2008 film. It is well-known that Norton had a difficult reputation on film sets, and his experience with Marvel was no exception. During the making of “The Incredible Hulk,” Norton had contrasting ideas about what he believed the film should be, leading to a deteriorating relationship with director Louis Leterrier and Kevin Feige. As a result, Feige swiftly replaced Norton with Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk.
The second individual is Joss Whedon, who was responsible for the “Agents of SHIELD” series that aired from 2013 to 2020. Interestingly, a conflict arose between Whedon and Feige after Feige deemed Whedon’s work on the series disappointing, particularly in regards to not respecting the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” This dispute is surprising considering Whedon’s involvement in the successful production of the first two “Avengers” movies, which greatly contributed to the success of the MCU.
Despite the concept of the multiverse opening up possibilities, it is clear that Edward Norton will never return to the MCU and Joss Whedon will not be directing for Marvel again. This is something fans will have to accept.