Not Edward Norton, but this MCU star was the first choice to play Pete Seeger in A Complete Unknown

Edward Norton shined as a folk singer, or should we say, a folk legend, Pete Seeger, in A Complete Unknown (2024). It's one of the movies that stood beneath raining award nominations; eight of them were Oscars, the fourth one for the actor, and a third one for his supporting roles, with past roles being Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear (1996) and Mike in Birdman (2014).

But his 2024 role is worthy of being remembered for ages. All thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch, who was the first choice of James Mangold for Pete Seeger, as he let go of it due to his schedule at the time. When Cumberbatch was cast for the role, Mangold said,

"Searchlight has really been providing a home for me."

Although A Complete Unknown isn't an accurate biography, all the actors did well portraying the singing personas. Other than Ed Norton as Pete Seeger, Timothée Chalamet plays Bob Dylan, and Monica Barbaro was Joan Baez in the film.

Edward Norton and Pete Seeger share something that matters to a few

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Norton is undeniably great in his portrayal of Seeger, and he certainly matches the folk personality the folk singer carries with him. Pete Seeger wore many activism hats and spoke freely against things that needed addressing, which are usually kept aside, sometimes on purpose.

To that, his greatest legacy would be the contribution in saving the Hudson River. Environment lawyer and American politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke of him and said,

"The Hudson was saved by a lot of people. But for a lot of us, Pete was the first guy. He started the train, and we all jumped on the moving train."

Like Seeger, his A Complete Unknown manifestation Edward Norton is actively involved in addressing environmental issues, most popularly for the Say No campaign, which is about the prevention of illegal poaching of elephants and rhinoceroses.

Interestingly, another fellow actor, Mark Ruffalo, who replaced Norton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Bruce Banner, is also one active personality when it comes to the environment. We sure would love to see two big green guys in a film that's about saving the Earth's greenery, if that ever happens.

Why is A Complete Unknown almost completely unknown of Pete Seeger's activism?

The only objective answer to this is that it's more about a journey of a young lad who arrives in New York from Minnesota. James Mangold discussed this on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and said,

"It’s not really a Bob Dylan biopic. It’s a kind of ensemble piece about this moment in time in the early ’60s in New York … and this wanderer who comes in from Minnesota with a fresh name and a fresh outlook on life [and] becomes a star."

To that end, we must add that it's also not about Pete Seeger, but the character is pivotal to A Complete Unknown's story. Throughout the film, we see Edward Norton's Seeger in a supporting role (remember the Best Supporting Actor nomination?).

Pete and Bob share a musical bond in A Complete Unknown, but they still have their differences in it. This is evident during the final moments of the film in a scene that was inspired by Bob Dylan's 'electrical' controversy.