Marvel Studios’ recent Thunderbolts* movie might have set up the perfect way for the much-wanted savage version of the Hulk to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to a new fan theory. Mark Ruffalo has played Bruce Banner’s Hulk since 2012’s The Avengers, a role originated in the MCU by Edward Norton in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. While he started his career as an uncontrollable and unhinged rage monster, the Hulk has been through some massive and polarizing changes over the last 17 years, but a new theory explains how he can revert to his original form.
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Many want to see the Hulk let loose again, especially after Avengers: Endgame introduced the controversial Smart Hulk. A new theory shared by @comicodigy on Instagram suggests that the events of Phase 5’s Thunderbolts* movie set up the perfect way for the Hulk to revert, as the Void’s attack on New York could have thrust Bruce Banner into his worst traumas. Just as Yelena went back to her Red Room training, and Robert Reynolds experienced abuse at the hands of his father again, Bruce Banner could have relived harrowing experiences that brought back his unabashed form.
The last time we saw Bruce Banner’s Smart Hulk, he took a journey back to Sakaar in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law where he acquired his son, Skaar, and brought him back to Earth. He subsequently reunited with his family and met Matt Murdock at a family barbecue. Since then, it’s very possible that Banner returned to New York, where he has routinely operated as a member of the Avengers and as an ally to other heroes, particularly Wong and Doctor Strange. This means he could have been in New York during the Void’s attack in Thunderbolts*.
Bruce Banner’s history is full of traumatic events that could have spurred the savage Hulk to reemerge. His initial transformation into the Hulk at Culver University, his injuring of Betty Ross and being hunted by her father, his battle against the Abomination, and his spar with Tony Stark’s Iron Man through the streets of Johannesburg are just a few that we’ve seen on-screen. A deleted scene from The Incredible Hulk also revealed that Banner carried out suicide attempts, and reliving these would clearly be enough to push him back over the edge.
This theory sets up a dark future for the Hulk in the MCU. There have been calls for Banner to return to the savage Hulk, and hopes that this will happen in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Mark Ruffalo hasn’t yet been confirmed to be returning, but there is also speculation he’ll be starring alongside Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, and Sadie Sink in 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Set in New York, this is the perfect project to explore the aftermath of the Void’s attack and its effect on the likes of Spider-Man, the Punisher, and the Hulk.
Do you want to see the savage Hulk return to the MCU? Let us know in the comments!
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