For it is a quiet, cerebral, and somber film about serious subjects, but it is also punctuated with some of the most bizarre and goofy choices Ive ever seen in a modern blockbuster. With the upcoming "She-Hulk" Disney+ series drawing nearer, Marvel fans are anxiously awaiting the arrival ofTatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters. When he had to he was willing to step up. Its almost as if you can hear the storytellers say, Dont worry folks! Oops. But we do get a small snippet of change at the beginning of the film when Hulk is beaten handily by Thanos. Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode! At some point, these problems and conflicts are going to have to be addressed somewhere if the stakes are to feel high enough to matter. The door is open for six huge Hulk fights to eventually happen in the MCU's future. This was no different in "Avengers: Endgame," although the most difficult scene to film with the Hulk may surprise you. (They actually look good on him.) Hulk was potentially at his strongest during the first Avengers film. Each character barely has time to react to whats going on, much less process it and grow. The Hulk is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel history. Its just a convenient moment of seeming destiny. She was also a contributor for FanSided's BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. His disconnection is a coping mechanism, one deeply tied to a buried memory of his father trying to kill him and inadvertently killing his mother. When I said I was disappointed that Infinity War didnt address this question in any larger way during the running time, I was met with the far too familiar chorus of MCU fans who said that I wasnt being fair, and the creative team at Disney would likely deal with it in the next movie. In the five years after the Snap, Bruce Banner and the Hulk are no longer enemies theyre sharing one body and mind. I came to the show a little later, when the dawn of cable TV meant that we could all suddenly absorb a bevy of syndicated reruns every dang day of the week. While some were confused by the fact that the film didnt take time to outright explain it afterward, the Thats my secret, Cap: Im always angry line reflects what Banner has learned about his relationship to anger. One of the main themes of Avengers:Endgame is sacrifice, and the film demonstrates over and over again that the only way to be victorious over the "inevitable" (as Thanos so fatefully described himself) is cooperative combined might, and actions that exact terrible tolls. This is the spoiler-filled discussion you've been waiting for after coming out of the movie and we cover a ton of ground. You can shout the logic of hey, it was five years later! at me all you want, but you shouldnt save the most important parts of a characters arc for the time between films. I didnt have many expectations for the conceit beyond the initial lark, but soon it started evolving. What is low-key remarkable about these three roles is that he brought vastly different performances to each of them: from wide-eyed comic fear, to understated flirtation and self-effacing grace, and then to the smooth, debonair manner needed for his sleight-of-hand-wielding detective. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Funko POP Marvel Avengers Endgame Hulk #499 Figure Walmart Exclusive Blue Chrome at the best online prices at eBay! Because Bixby never played the role as meek, repressed, or unemotional. "So, the relationship is becoming increasingly dysfunctional and that's what's going on here.". So,. Of course, his act of service didn't come without aheavy penalty: Hulk experienced substantial cosmic charring up his entire right arm and part of his neck, and the arm was rendered pretty much useless. You betcha! It was a lot of fun, but it came at the wrong moment. But instead, his endgame happened between movies, and after that point he was just there to explain things and be physically strong and resilient when necessary. Whats remarkable about this quote is how quickly it gets to the true heart of the character, specifically Lees empathy for the unwitting monster. That's led some fans to express their displeasure with the scene on Twitter. But please understand Im not talking about mere changes in tone, which can shift as much as it wants. As Steve, Rhodey and Natasha enter, Rocket turns the gauntlet over to find the Infinity Stones missing] Rocket : Oh no. newsletter, closure to the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Universal Studios still has right of first refusal for any solo Hulk movie, planned their own three movie arc for Hulks personality, Avengers: Endgame failed the Incredible Hulk, Avengers: Endgames reinvented Hawkeye raises questions about superheroes who kill, In the end, the MCU was a saga about failure, The biggest questions after Avengers: Endgames ending, answered, The kid at the end of Avengers: Endgame is one of Marvels mightiest cameos, Avengers: Endgame writers on bringing Captain America to this moment, Captain Americas final act in Endgame seems to solve a lingering MCU mystery, The best Captain America moment was a nod to comic book controversy, Avengers: Endgames confusing timeline actually makes sense heres why, Thors reaction to his new look is the only one that matters, Avengers: Endgames Stan Lee cameo is a rebuke to keeping politics out of comics, Everything you need to remember about the OG Avengers before Endgame, The Avengers: Endgame scenes worth dipping out of for a bathroom break, ranked, Avengers: Endgame: the non-spoiler review, Avengers: Endgame does have a post-credits moment, its just subtle, The best way to avoid Avengers: Endgame spoilers and leaks, How to watch all 21 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame will finish the series longest-running battle and its not Thanos, What MCUs Phase 4 looks like after Endgame, Black Widows stand-alone movie could make Avengers: Endgame richer, How Avengers: Endgame shakes up the Guardians of the Galaxy, The Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer plays way differently after Endgame. He also is an avid lover of M&M McFlurries from McDonalds, and accepts that he has an addiction to them. newsletter, Destiny 2 power level guide, all caps and Powerful and Pinnacle gear sources explained, The best way to increase your Power level in Destiny 2s new Lightfall expansion, Marvel still doesnt know what to do with its most popular hero, Spider-Man, Spider-Man endures, almost in spite of many Spider-Man stories, Where to buy the Pokmon Go Plus Plus device, The new Pokmon Go sleep-tracking multitool will start shipping July 14, The official BTS Lego set is now available, I have never found myself so inexplicably attracted to a set of Lego Minifigs, Sign up for the Aside from the obvious bright spots like Black Panther, Ive had some trouble with the endless wheel-spinning and half-hearted lip-service toward change that weve seen from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also it's not fucking Professor Hulk, stop calling him Professor Hulk, Banner's mind Hulk's body is Intelligent Hulk not fucking Professor Hulk, Professor Hulk is a fucking chad and Banner is a sweaty nerd. There is a catch, though. Justin is a Kansas City, Missouri, freelance writer and is on Twitter often, @GigawattConduit. But even though I thought I was watching for those fun, tangible thrills, I was actually watching for the man who played Banner. However, this was not the case when. "A lot of people had interpreted that the Hulk was scared of Thanos. ", "What makes him unique as a character is that there's a host body that is being fought over by two distinct personalities who hate each other. The beauty of this choice reveals a simple irony: The Hulk may be physically invulnerable, but he is as emotionally vulnerable as it gets. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. According to the Russos, though, that's not how they saw it. Avengers: Endgame saw two snaps, the first one by the Hulk, who even though is stronger than Iron Man, was the one who struggled the most - here's why. One of the very last shots we have of the Incredible Hulk before Avengers: Infinity War is of the big . Even with all his efforts, Natasha wasnt going to come back as she didnt die as a result of the snap, and its the same case for Gamora. dossiers, and checked in . A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Avengers: Endgame failed the Incredible Hulk, Sign up for the Here's what happened. There was an awkward hello and then no other conversation. Its as if he just couldnt help but emit this unflappable decency whenever he appeared on the damn screen. Who is the Hulk? They both want to control Hulks body. Banner. For many fans, Hulk's continued denial throughout the rest of the film including during the pivotal Battle of Wakanda to fight on behalf of the rest of the Avengers stemmed from his easy defeat at the hands of the Mad Titan during the film's opening scene. The new Huffalo is fun, funny, and, dare I say it, strangely attractive (fight me!). Next: MCU Phase 4 Has The Perfect Replacement For Banner's Cursed Hulk. So, I think this is becoming a stubborn push and pull between two very despaired personalities stuck in one body.". To be clear, I do think that the new Huffalo is enjoyable as all hell. Chiefly, that anger can throw us into blind, destructive rage as it does for him earlier in the film but anger can also be a feeling we channel from inside ourselves as a useful, powerful force. So when you pull the idea of the character back for common assumptions, you realize that the Hulk is simply a vehicle for exploring different dualities. Copyright 2023 ComicBook.com. Russo explained that their school schedules were tough to work around. Everyone is in such a rush to ping-pong about into different alliances and situations as Thanos goes on his mad quest that they arent really given enough space to explore their inner lives. When asked to take a selfie with some adoring fans, Hulk dabs. We'll keep you updated. The creative team had two whole movies to really explore the fallout of Banners relationship with Natasha, and what did they do? But in dramatizing this high/low dynamic, many writers make the mistake of portraying this duality in ways that are too plain or reductive. But in that space, you could see how quickly Bixbys kind emotions would turn to fear as the anger or defensiveness built up inside him, afraid of the hulking transition to come and the disasters that would surely follow. It could be a chance to explore the destructive mindset of barbarism, or the controlling mixed messages of the patriarchy, or even exploring feelings of inadequacy in comparison to one Freddie Prinze Jr. ), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. In the end, we knew that every episode would come with the smallest of victories, but often at the greatest of costs to our dear Bill Bixby. He wears shirts, and even glasses. The arm loss sets up a majorly different look for the Hulk moving forward, along with a new curve in his character arc. However, by Avengers: Infinity War, he was unable to stand up to Thanos. And for a fun little aside, I will always link to this decade-old list of all the things that caused Banner to Hulk out during the show. Avengers: Endgame introduced a new version of Bruce Banner when he merged himself with the Hulk by spending eighteen months in the gamma lab to "put the brains and the brawn together.". But where does a fearful decision take us? No one could ever convince me that he was the bad guy He never wanted to hurt anyone; he merely groped his torturous way through a second life trying to defend himself, trying to come to terms with those who sought to destroy him I decided I might as well borrow from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well our protagonist would constantly change from his normal identity to his superhuman alter ego and back again. Given the nom de plume, its fair to say that I get asked this question a lot. Avengers 5. theory explains how Hulk may transform into biggest villain yet. The Avengers' strategy for reversing the Snap was an incredibly complex one, and everything had a consequence to be accounted for it just so happened that some of those consequences were more painful than others. Roundly trounced by Thanos (wielding a grand total of one Infinity Stone), Hulk spent the vast majority of Avengers: Infinity War fearfully hiding behind Bruce Banner - a spectacular low point for the ex-strongest Avenger. While speaking with Cleveland.com in a 2019 interview, Russo noted that although there were plenty of cameos from characters that fans had seen in other movies like Tilda Swinton's the Ancient One, Michael Douglas' Hank Pym, John Slattery's Howard Stark, and of course, Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter the cameos of the children who ask for the Hulk's autograph was especially challenging. While Endgame did . why didn't the hulk fight in endgame. Edward Norton is talented, but if youre going to try and give a Bixby-like affectation of the decent man at the center of the film, you really, truly need a Bixby-like figure. "The Hulk has never come up against every Infinity Stone in a gauntlet, and the pure power of the stones," Joe Russo explained. Especially since Endgame treated the character so poorly. Marvel Studios' head of visual development Ryan Meinerding also explained that in earlier development, they considered giving Hulk a more substantial injury in the form of physically shrivelling his arm, but ultimately abandoned the idea due to technical problems presented in later fight sequences. Hate the stairs! Seriously, imagine how much fun these moments would have been in an act of discovery for the audience, much like the joy of getting to see Cap finally wield Thors hammer. "You're Banner's friend. Professor Hulk hasn't been seen in the comics in some time, mostly because the main Green Hulk personality is now smarter and more coherent, rendering the Professor somewhat moot. "People speculated whether there was some fear on the Hulk's part about having to face Thanos again but I think ultimately what it is is that he's tired of playing hero to Bruce Banner," director Joe Russo explains on the Infinity War commentary track. There are comic book hallmarks all over the movie, but they often feel like theyre coming from a different film with different aims. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. But I cant help but point out how, emotionally speaking, both of these endings could have come right at the end of Phase One without many other changes. Guillermo del Toro said hi to her once. "Thanos is nearly invincible, and he did not heal, either. If he gets too angry, hell transform back into Bruce Banner but with the mind and personality of the Savage Hulk (which doesnt seem to be a problem for Endgames Hulk). A decade-long character arc deserved better. That's because the young actors in that scene are the Russo brothers' own sons and niece. Every Iron Man suit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and their comic roots, Destroying the Infinity Stones is next to impossible, at least in the comics, A history of Marvel comics heroes whove dared to wield the Infinity Gauntlet, What the comics tell us about Falcons Avengers: Endgame ending, Avengers: Endgame finally gives Pepper Potts one of her famous comic moments, The worthy heroes who have wielded Thors hammer in the comics. [Endgame] why is it that when the Hulk puts on the infinity gauntlet, his arm is all burned up, but when Tony puts it on, he gets a relatively peaceful death? But Ruffalo also gets to double down on the aw shucks goofball aura that he exudes so naturally. Now that all the Loki-smashing and Thanos-clashing has come to an end, or will at least be paused for a moment or two, it felt like a good time to look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universes treatment of the Hulk and see its place against the larger history of the character. In Ragnarok, after all that silliness. April 26, 2019 (U.S.) Budget. He is a direct expression of childlike emotional purity. old bexley and sidcup by-election 2021 . Maybe . Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. So, contrary to what might seem obvious, it turns out that the most emotionally affecting Hulk stories are the ones that give us a personable, engaged Bruce Banner with aching humility. Just like Jekyll and Hyde, the duality of these two sides should be clear. Having battled foes like Thor, Abomination, Thanos, and Iron Man, Hulk has already gone up against a handful of major MCU characters. His career stretched over three decades, featuring guest appearances on an array of classics like The Twilight Zone, The Andy Griffith Show, Ironside, The Love Boat, The Joey Bishop Show, and even Fantasy Island. On the internet, hes become known as Hipster Hulk. The Hulk brings fighting and strength to the table and hes not quite sure what Banner is bringing yet. Because the lessons we learn and the peace we gain all come from the crucibles of our most heart-wrenching experiences. In particular, the Hulk suffers a massive setback that many moviegoers may not have understood the full scope of. Although it was not entirely clear what happened to the Hulk in the movie, the directors have confirmed that the Hulk lost his arm in Avengers: Endgame in an interview with ComicBook.com. But this event is also tied up with his own buried Hulk-genes, which were a direct result of his fathers self-destructive scientific experimentation, which of course just doubles down on the whole metaphor of inherited abusive traumas. But the problem is that his final arc just became another undramatized lie. Banner never wanted to hurt a soul or put himself at risk, which created the drama of putting your hero into the perpetual state of being caught between a rock and a hard place. It makes sense that Hulk himself would evolve as Banner's own. Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? That being said, Marvel still has quite a few powerhouses who have yet to be tested in combat by the Hulk. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Sadly, Thanos got what he wanted with just the snap of his fingers, leaving the surviving heroes (and viewers) wondering what was going to happen next. Bill Bixby is one of our shining examples of the great working television actor. But my jaw was on the ground when Endgame finished, because the Hulk character has literally nothing to do on any emotional level for most of the running time. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Is this due to him being emasculated by the stronger enemy? By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. All of that, combined with Hulk's childlike level of intelligence, would be enough to make him stubbornly refuse to fight anymore, particularly if he couldn't fully comprehend the stakes of the film. But what made Bixby downright transcendent is that he could do all that while still keeping this quiet, plain-faced nature underneath it all. Avengers: Infinity Waris a film so packed with details and characters that, more than three months after its release, we're still asking questions about some of them. And then there was the Professor. Please enter a valid email and try again. And watching him bounce off Downey Jr., Evans, and Hemsworth proved exactly why he was the perfect fit for both the group and the MCUs version of the Hulk stories. Maybe Bruce Banner isn't as zen as we thought. But after doing this for the last decade (good granola, has it been that long? Theres so much I love in the subtle execution of that scene, particularly the way Hulk lets that childlike bashfulness and fear peek out for a moment as he turns to withdrawn sadness. Hes gone full Hulk-mode 24/7 on a gladiatorial planet and drunkenly embraced the ego that comes with his raw physical strength. By the end of the film, Banner gave himself over to Hulk in order to try and defeat Hela, and Hulk was back in control at the time ofInfinity War, but as Russo points out he was being used as a wrecking ball yet again. It was great. It's interesting. He solved it all! The Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 with Jon Favreaus Iron Man, which introduced Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and set the tone for the rest of this connected universe. Hulk speaks in full sentences. Could the Avengers go back in time to kill baby Thanos? In this latest episode, we go all in on Avengers: Endgame! Related: Avengers Endgame: Why Hulk's Soul World Scene Would Have Made No Sense. Its fascinating stuff on the cerebral level, but Ill admit that the action in the film feels unclear in motivation. May 5, 2020. What this means is that despite his size, hes the weakest Hulk personality around, and not terribly handy in a brawl which might be why get kitted himself out with all these guns during a crossover with X-Factor. Now we know what they were getting at over a handful of years, Hulk and Banner have gone from wrestling for control and despising one another, to being able to cooperate and even merge. From the lonely man to the purple pants to Lou Ferrigno himself, The Incredible Hulk (2008) is dead set on reminding you that this film is grounded in the popular roots of the character as it sets him up for the bigger world of Tony Stark and super-soldier serums.

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