Hey Collider fans!
John Rocha back with another explainer video from Avengers: Endgame.
Before I go any further, let me warn you that this is a Spoilers video so if you haven’t
seen the movie then stop this video now, go see it and then come on back.
Alright, one of the most welcomed and beloved surprises in Avengers: Endgame was the appearance
of “Professor Hulk”.
Five years after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, we are reintroduced to Bruce Banner/Hulk
as this combination of both with both sides seeming to have come to accept each other.
The brains and child eyed wonder of Banner in the body of the immensely powerful Hulk.
Us comic book fans rejoiced in seeing this version of Hulk because we’ve seen Professor
Hulk multiple times in the pages of Hulk comic books.
MCU fans rejoiced at seeing a version of the Hulk that seems to be at peace with himself
after years of struggle and even playfully embracing it like he does in that selfie scene
in the movie.
However, some of you who are new to this version of everyone’s favorite Jolly Green Warrior
may be asking how is this incarnation of the Hulk possible?
What does this mean for the Hulk and Banner going forward in the MCU?
Well, let’s take these one at a time, shall we?
Professor Hulk first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #377.
He was a culmination of three entities: Bruce Banner, the Savage Hulk and the Grey Hulk
aka Joe Fixit or Mr. Fixit which a lot of people initially confused this version of
the Hulk with in their reactions after Endgame.
All three entities were fighting for control of Banner.
A character we have yet to see in the MCU but who is an integral part of the Hulk story
in the comics, Doc Samson.
Samson tried to resolve this internal war for Banner who is suffering from the discovery
that his father killed his mother and that he was abused as a child.
Samson uses therapy to explore Banner’s mind to help him confront these emotions once
and for all.
But Bruce convinces himself that his deceased mother wants him to merge all three of his
warring identities into one to create…Professor Hulk.
Banner thinks he is “fixed” now that he’s finally resolved this battle.
However, he discovers quickly that his weakness now is ironically his anger.
When he gets too angry he reverts back to being Bruce but with the savage mind of the
Hulk!
He eventually concocts some gamma weapons to keep him in Hulk body mode.
However, Doc Samson eventually gets him to see that Professor Hulk is just another idealized
version of the Hulk and that what he needs is MORE therapy to get to the heart of the
issues.
Whew!
Psychologically, Banner is more difficult to figure out than a time travel heist!
Okay let’s look at the Hulk’s journey in the MCU over these 22 films to see how
he ended up here.
Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen Banner go from embracing his Hulk persona as his
wry smile showed us at the end of The Incredible Hulk (that film is MCU canon, people) to reverting
back to being afraid of his green side in The Avengers to eventually reconciling the
two sides of himself in Endgame.
In The Avengers, Banner initially doesn’t want to join the team because he can’t trust
the Big Green Guy and doesn’t want to let him out for fear of what he might do.
He wasn’t wrong at first.
In his advisory capacity on that SHIELD helicarrier, when Bruce is forced to become the Hulk in
order to save them from the attack of Loki’s minions, Hulk almost kills Black Widow.
Eventually he realizes he has to join in the fight and acquits himself well.
He also develops a DUDE BRO relationship with Thor (complete with a sucker punch) that will
come into play down the line.
Also, in this movie we start to see the beginnings of an understanding between Banner and Hulk
when Banner realizes Hulk adjusted his fall from the helicarrier so he wouldn’t kill
innocent people below.
He sees empathy from him.
Later in the film, Hulk learns to work with the team and delivers one of the most iconic
moments of the MCU when he ragdolls Loki.
Man, I can’t get enough of that moment.
This empathy momentum carries over into Avengers: Age of Ultron where Banner and Black Widow
develop a love interest between them.
Yes, I know this storyline is universally panned now and the “big guy” stuff is
played for laughs in Thor: Ragnarok but it still shows that he’s capable of caring
for someone and letting them calm him down.
When Ultron tries to shoot Hulk and Black Widow down from his ship later in the film,
Hulk saves Natasha, flings Ultron down to Earth and takes his ship.
He senses that he needs to resolve this thing inside him and he needs his space.
This is emotional cognitive thought, people!
Speaking of Thor: Ragnarok, the Hulk speaks in full on sentences here and develops rudimentary
and emotional communication skills that he displays with Thor.
He expresses hurt that Thor took his “thunder” (pun intended) in the arena on Sakaar and
questions their friendship like a hurt child.
Hulk eventually becomes Banner who learns that he’s been Hulk for two years.
He fears that Hulk has inflicted terrible damage and is surprised when he discovers
that he hasn’t.
He realizes that Hulk is growing and maturing the more he is allowed to come out, it gives
Banner the confidence to CHOOSE to become Hulk at the end of the movie to help the Revengers.
In Infinity War, we have a Hulk who fights Thanos and is bested by him viciously.
It’s the first time that Hulk’s mortality is tested and he reverts back to Banner for
the rest of the film refusing to become the Hulk.
Many people speculated that he was afraid of Thanos, but Ruffalo has contended that
Hulk didn’t want to come out because he was tired of being used for just his strength.
He wanted to be seen as a full fledged person and not a beast.
Another huge step in his journey!
The writers of the film, Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeeley in a recent interview
backed this up by revealing that they had planned to have Professor Hulk in Infinity
War and there are rumors that scenes were shot for it.
But in the end, they held off until Endgame so that enough time could pass and we could
accept that both Banner and Hulk had time to learn to accept and trust each other.
This is called GROWTH, my friends!
We get a fully realized Hulk here who uses his mind to help the Avengers with the time
heist, his humor and strong empathy skills with Fat Thor in his emotional journey and
his power to snap everyone back into existence.
This Version of the Hulk would not have been possible without all the seeds the Russo brothers,
Ruffalo, Feige and Marcus and McFeeley planted along the way.
It’s the most mature, playful and enjoyable Hulk yet, but will it last?
It did not in the comics, but we shall see what this next phase of the MCU has in store
for Hulk/Bruce Banner.
Maybe a genuine love interest in Betty Ross if they can untangle the rights Universal
has to this character.
We shall see.
One things’ for sure, Hulk is now arguably the STRONGEST Avenger and, with the death
of Tony Stark, the SMARTEST Avenger as well.
Okay.
That’s our Professor Hulk explained video and I hope you enjoyed it.
Let us know if we missed anything in the Comments section.
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