'Avengers: Infinity War' Directors Explain Strain in Hulk and Bruce Banner's Relationship

To say that Bruce Banner and the Hulk have a complicated relationship would be an understatement. For most of Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk took over their shared brain and forced Bruce into hiding. When Avengers: Infinity War came around, it was exactly the opposite, and the Hulk refused to show his face.

Since Hulk has usually been the dominant force in the relationship, it seemed like an odd scenario. Many fans had the notion that perhaps Hulk was scared of Thanos after their fight in the beginning of the movie. However, according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo, that's not exactly the case.

While speaking to EW about the home release of Infinity War, the Russo brothers were asked about the Hulk's difficulties, they said the problem went much deeper than Thanos.

"A lot of people had interpreted that the Hulk was scared of Thanos," Joe Russo began. "The Hulk has had his ass kicked before, and so it wasn't like the minute he gets his ass kicked he's going to run and hide. It's really the notion that the Hulk and Banner have a very dysfunctional relationship, which was explored even further in Thor: Ragnarok. And I think that relationship is starting to strain between the two of them and the Hulk is not interested in playing the hero to Banner anymore. I don't know if the Hulk sees the value in the relationship. They both want to control Hulk's body. The Hulk brings fighting and strength to the table and he's not quite sure what Banner is bringing yet. So, I think this is becoming a stubborn push and pull between two very despaired personalities stuck in one body."

While the issues between Hulk and Bruce continued throughout the entire movie, it seems as though the Big Guy will return for the events of Avengers 4. Early promo art of the film that leaked online featured Hulk fighting alongside the rest of the Avengers, with Bruce Banner nowhere in sight.

How do you think Bruce and Hulk will solve their problem? Are you excited to see Hulk return in Avengers 4? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below!

Avengers: Infinity War is currently available on Digital HD, and arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on August 14. Avengers 4 is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2019.