Smart Hulk’s Peaceful End May Be The Calm Before A Terrifying Storm In The MCU

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It appears that Bruce Banner’s tranquil phase might be the conclusion of his MCU storyline, but Hulk’s extensive past suggests otherwise. If Mark Ruffalo is not part of the cast for Avengers: Doomsday, it means Smart Hulk may not reappear until Avengers: Secret Wars. This would mean that Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner has been Smart Hulk for as long as he was the original Hulk before Avengers: Endgame, but a year earlier due to the five-year jump in the story. The last time we saw Bruce Banner’s original Hulk alter ego on screen was in Avengers: Infinity War, which was nine years prior to Avengers: Doomsday.

Ever since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bruce Banner had been plagued by the Hulk within him. His struggle to harmonize these two aspects of himself consumed much of his Infinity Saga journey. Fortunately for Banner, Thanos’ Snap provided enough time for a seemingly permanent and peaceful resolution to his struggle with the Hulk. The “Smart Hulk” that Banner had long aspired to achieve was finally within reach, but it came at a cost – the original Hulk could no longer reappear. However, the permanence of Smart Hulk may not be as absolute as Bruce Banner believes.

Smart Hulk’s Story Is Secretly Horrifying To Think About From Hulk’s Perspective

Bruce Banner’s Smart Hulk Achievement Is A Nightmare In Disguise

From my perspective as a movie enthusiast, Bruce Banner’s assumption of Smart Hulk was fulfilling for him personally, but it seems like an unbalanced agreement for the Hulk himself. You see, in the epic saga of The Avengers, I remember Banner striving to make permanent changes with his other self, only for it to deflect the bullet. He then attempted to escape and restart his life, but he was pursued relentlessly. When Banner transformed Hulk into a superhero, their adversaries exploited Hulk’s uncontrollable nature, leading to catastrophic destruction. And when Hulk had an opportunity to thwart Thanos before the Mad Titan invaded Earth, he fell short. To add insult to injury, Banner seized control of Hulk’s body entirely.

As a movie buff who can’t get enough of the Avengers, I’ve always admired Smart Hulk for his calm demeanor among the chaos. But here’s the thing, Bruce Banner might be overlooking that Hulk is an entirely distinct entity with his own passions and instincts. In a strange twist of events, Banner essentially commandeered Hulk’s body, kept his essence alive, and gave nothing back to the Gamma monster – a being he’d been trying to eliminate for years. Instead of finding common ground with this other person, it seems like Bruce Banner may have been suppressing the Hulk through force. And you know what they say about keeping pressure bottled up? It’s bound to blow, and sooner rather than later, that explosion could be catastrophic.

The MCU’s Recent Releases Make A Smart Hulk Reversal Seem More Possible Than Ever

The MCU Might Bring Hulk Back Out One Way Or The Other

In essence, Smart Hulk, one of the surviving original Avengers, is calm to a fault, which means he wouldn’t inflict much harm against adversaries such as Red Hulk, Sentry, or Doctor Doom. However, with the impending multiversal war led by Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in the MCU, Smart Hulk might find it necessary to unleash the rage he’s been keeping in check. Since Bruce Banner fused his body with the Hulk rather than eradicating him, there’s a possibility that the original Hulk could resurface — this time even angrier and more powerful.

In a parallel scenario to when Hulk took over from Bruce Banner in “Thor: Ragnarok”, Bruce Banner may find himself relinquishing control of his consciousness for an extended period. This could be triggered in future films like “Avengers: Doomsday” or “Avengers: Secret Wars”. Just as the sight of Natasha Romanoff led Hulk to allow Banner back at the wheel when he entered the Quinjet, something similar might cause Banner to lose his grip and unleash the Hulk. There are several characters capable of causing this transformation. For example, The Leader could reactivate the Hulk using gamma radiation manipulation, Doctor Doom could use magic or technology, while Sentry may do so through the Void.

The Hulk Transforming In The Multiverse Saga Would Be A Huge Event

Doomsday And Secret Wars Owe Hulk What Avengers: Endgame Didn’t Give Him

Since 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, Hulk hasn’t really been involved in full-fledged Avengers battles, although Bruce Banner donned the Hulkbuster Mark II armor to battle Thanos’ Outriders in “Avengers: Infinity War” and a wounded version of Smart Hulk utilized his functioning arm to aid other Avengers against Thanos’ forces in “Avengers: Endgame”. In future stories like “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”, the original Hulk might return as a significant force for the Avengers when they face off against Doctor Doom.

It’s unfortunate that Bruce Banner might lose his Smart Hulk transformation, but it would be fitting for the Hulk’s story in the MCU to shift towards a more significant role in movies like Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Given that the Hulk hasn’t had a leading role since 2008’s The Inccredible Hulk, it’s high time Marvel Studios gave him the recognition he deserves in the MCU.

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2025-05-01 03:11