Bruce Banner’s (Mark Ruffalo) inability to turn into the Hulk over the course of Avengers: Infinity War was a recurring story arc — dare I say, running gag — and there has yet to be a real explicit reason as to why he didn’t “pop out” and help the Avengers take on Thanos (Josh Brolin) after his opening fight. One intriguing fan theory posted online by u/smacksaw says fans need to look back to Thor: Ragnarok for their answer.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The theory suggests Ragnarok largely deals with expressing the fact that the Hulk only manages to help those he’s friends with, with the theorist making sure to point out his friendship with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the scene where the gamma-infused monster chases after Thor (Chris Hemsworth) after their heart-to-heart talk int the Hulk’s room.
Because he’s so inclined to help out his friends, the theory suggests that Banner has yet to become friends with his inner self, thus the reluctance for the Hulk to help out — something compounded by the fact that the Hulk got his butt handed to him by the Mad Titan in a big ol’ smackdown. After Thanos sends the universe to the brink of collapse, it stands to reasons that Banner will finally — after so many years — finally work on his inner relationship with the Hulk, which will then cause him to become friends with himself.
It’d also explain the Professor Hulk storyline many fans have speculated would happen. Should Banner come to peace with himself, it seems like it’d be totally possible that he could have a symbiotic-like relationship with the Hulk and share the same consciousness.
Captain Marvel is in theaters now. Other upcoming Marvel Studios movies set for release this year include Avengers: Endgame on April 26th and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th.
What makes the Hulk come back out in Avengers: Endgame? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or join the conversation online by hitting me up on Twitter at @AdamBarnhardt!
—–
Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.
In this latest episode, we talk about Dragon Ball Super maybe returning, we’re breaking down Kofi’s trip to the set of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and more! Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!
