EDWARD Norton might be splitting his pants again right about now…

Marvel Studio confirmed early on Sunday that they had indeed dropped Edward Norton from his role as Dr Bruce Banner, more commonly know as The Incredible Hulk in Joss Wheadon’s highly-anticipated summer 2012 blockbuster The Avengers.

Edward took over from Eric Bana and starred as the short-tempered green mutant in 2008′s The Incredible Hulk, and was expected to reprise his role for the superhero flick.

But the studio instead announced his departure and provided a rather biting reason for giving Edward the boot: “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.”

“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,” said Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige via the statement. “We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”

Yikes.

Such a shame because we think Edward would have made an incredible Hulk once again next to Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth who have already joined the cast.

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