With Iron Man 3 setting the international box office on fire over the last few days, it's clear that Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is well underway. The MCU kicked off officially in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, and though that film didn't focus at all on getting the pieces assembled for The Avengers - as the mere notion was just a dream back then - it set a solid framework that all other films in the web could follow. Entertaining though most of the films in the MCU are, there's no denying the fact that there have been some cringe-inducing and regrettable moments along the way, ones we would rather not have to think about going forward. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes made in the MCU (so far)...
10. Ed Norton As Bruce Banner (The Incredible Hulk)
When Ed Norton was cast as Bruce Banner in Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk, I was overjoyed, and having seen the film, he certainly gave a stirring portrayal of the character, far outdoing Eric Bana's turn in Ang Lee's Hulk. However, things took a turn for the worse when Norton's relationship with Marvel broke down, reportedly as a result of the actor wanting to have creative control over his performance and how the character was portrayed; on the set of The Incredible Hulk, he went about assembling his own cut of the film in the way that he envisioned it, which rubbed just about everyone the wrong way. Also, due to the editing dispute, Norton refused to do publicity for the film. Banner was recast for The Avengers with Mark Ruffalo taking the helm, and given that Ruffalo managed to top Norton, giving easily the best screen portrayal of the character to date - in large part due to Joss Whedon's electrifying script - it makes the Norton Hulk seem incongruous and awkward. Nobody can predict the future, but this is a regrettable aspect of the MCU nevertheless.