Bruce Banner"s current status seems like a peaceful end to his MCU journey, but Hulk"s long history says otherwise. If Mark Ruffalo"s absence in Avengers: Doomsday"s cast announcement means Smart Hulk won"t return until Avengers: Secret Wars, then Ruffalo"s Bruce Banner will have been Smart Hulk for the same amount of time he was the original Hulk before Avengers: Endgame. Taking Avengers: Endgame"s five-year jump into consideration, that will be at least one year sooner. The last time Bruce Banner"s original Hulk alter ego made a full on-screen appearance was in Avengers: Infinity War, nine years before Avengers: Doomsday.
Bruce Banner was tormented by Hulk before the MCU even began, and he spent almost his entire Infinity Saga journey trying to reconcile both sides of himself. Luckily for Banner, Thanos" Snap gave him enough time to find a seemingly permanent and pacific solution to his conflict with the Hulk. Smart Hulk is the goal Bruce Banner had been aiming for over the previous decade or more, but it also meant that the original Hulk couldn"t return. However, Smart Hulk may not be as permanent as Bruce Banner thinks.
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 Close Bruce Banner"s control of the Hulk as Smart Hulk fulfilled Banner"s dream, but it was an unfair deal for the Hulk. As Banner recalls in The Avengers, he tried to take definitive measures with his alter ego, but "the other guy" spit out the bullet. Banner tried to hide and rebuild his life, but he was hunted down. When Banner turned Hulk into a superhero, his enemies weaponized Hulk"s uncontrollable nature, leading to massive collateral damage. And when Hulk had the chance to stop Thanos before the Mad Titan arrived on Earth, he failed. To top it off, Banner took full control of Hulk"s body.
Bruce Banner may have suppressed the Hulk by force, and all his bottled-up pressure may explode catastrophically sooner rather than later
Ever since Bruce Banner"s off-screen Smart Hulk transformation, Smart Hulk has been the most level-headed and well-adjusted member of the Avengers. However, Banner may be forgetting that Hulk is a separate individual with his own desires and impulses. Banner practically stole Hulk"s body, retained his full identity, and gave the Gamma monster absolutely nothing in return — all after several years of murder attempts on the Gamma monster. Instead of making peace with the other guy, Bruce Banner may have suppressed the Hulk by force, and all his bottled-up pressure may explode catastrophically sooner rather than later.
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 Custom image by Yailin Chacon Smart Hulk is one of the few original Avengers still alive and in shape for battle. However, Smart Hulk is far too collected to do any damage if he were to face enemies like Red Hulk, Sentry, or Doctor Doom. Robert Downey Jr."s Doctor Doom is about to bring multiversal war to the MCU, and Smart Hulk may need to tap into the rage he fought so long to contain. Considering that Bruce Banner merged his body with Hulk"s instead of eliminating Hulk altogether, there"s a chance the original Hulk can awaken once again — this time angrier and more powerful than ever before.
Related I’m Convinced The MCU Could Totally Save The Hulk’s Storyline By Adapting 1 2018 Marvel Comic Many of the current issues with the Hulk"s MCU arc could be addressed by adapting one comic story that offers a chance at a revival of sorts.
Posts 1 Bruce Banner may have done the same thing Hulk did to him in Thor: Ragnarok: push his alter ego to the passenger seat for years. Similarly to how Hulk accidentally let Banner take the wheel when he entered the Quinjet and saw a clip of Natasha Romanoff, something could lead Banner to lose control and awaken the Hulk in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. At this point, there are many characters who can make this happen. For instance, the Leader could reawaken the Hulk through Gamma manipulation, Doctor Doom could do it through magic or technology, and Sentry could do it 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 Custom image by Nicolas Ayala Hulk hasn"t participated in an Avengers battle since 2015"s Avengers: Age of Ultron, at least not properly. Bruce Banner wore the Hulkbuster Mark II armor to fight Thanos" Outriders in Avengers: Infinity War, and a wounded Smart Hulk relied on his working arm to help the rest of the Avengers resist Thanos" forces in Avengers: Endgame. After an entire Saga as Smart Hulk, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars could bring back the original Hulk as a major player in the Avengers" battles against Doctor Doom.
Related How Big MCU Galactus Is Vs. Hulk, Celestials And Other Marvel Characters The Fantastic Four: First Steps" second trailer offers a new look at Galactus, who"s surprisingly smaller than some characters and bigger than others.
Posts 2 While reverting his Smart Hulk transformation would be tragic for Bruce Banner, becoming a game-changing character in an Avengers movie would be a long-deserved shift for the Hulk"s MCU story. Besides his limited role in crossover events, Hulk hasn"t starred in a movie of his own since 2008"s The Incredible Hulk, and that doesn"t seem to be changing anytime soon. The least Marvel Studios can do to do the Hulk justice in the MCU is make him an influential member of Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars" cast before Mark Ruffalo bids farewell to his character.
Hulk
First Film The Incredible Hulk Returns Latest Film Avengers: Endgame First TV Show The Incredible Hulk Latest TV Show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Upcoming MCU Movies Thunderbolts* Release Date May 2, 2025
Powered by Expand Collapse The Fantastic Four: First Steps Release Date July 25, 2025
Powered by Expand Collapse Avengers: Doomsday Release Date May 1, 2026
Powered by Expand Collapse Spider-Man: Brand New Day Release Date July 31, 2026
Powered by Expand Collapse Avengers: Secret Wars Release Date May 7, 2027
Powered by Expand Collapse

---