Following the drastic events of Avengers: Infinity War, the 2019 film Endgame introduces Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk after Bruce Banner merges his intelligence with the Hulk’s strength. The character plays a significant role further in the story, unlike the previous film, where Banner struggled to unleash the green monster. However, a deleted scene from the movie adds an intriguing element to the story, as it reveals that Smart Hulk almost appeared in Infinity War.
Smart Hulk Almost Appeared in Avengers: Infinity War
Screenwriters of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have shared that they wanted to incorporate Smart Hulk in the 2018 film. “There was a time when Banner became Smart Hulk in the first movie,” Markus shared in an interview with The New York Times.
McFeely further shared, “It happened in Wakanda.” And a deleted scene featuring Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Anthony Mackie from the film showcases something similar. The deleted scene follows Natasha and Sam Wilson encountering Hulk in the woods.
As Natasha tries to bring Bruce back to his normal self, the Hulk says, “Hello, Nat. It’s okay. We worked it out.” Seeing her surprise, he explained that he is now able to manage his alter ego and has gained control over him as well.
The scene, however, did not end up in the final cut of the movie. It is a follow-up of another deleted scene where Banner and Hulk come to an understanding during a fight with Cull Obsidian. However, it was eventually deleted as it did not sit well with Infinity War’s third act.
Why the Scene Was Removed From Avengers: Infinity War?
Christopher Markus has shared that the decision to cut out the scene from Avengers: Infinity War was made after they had already shot Endgame. However, when the cut was shown to the test audience, none of them liked the idea.
Joe Russo also explained that the scene did not fit in the narration of the film’s final act. “Maybe that’s it. We just didn’t have enough … because we were in the climax of the movie,” he said as per Slash Film. Referring to the earlier-mentioned deleted scene, Stephen McFeely explained how it was a significant moment for the fans, who have followed the character for years.
However, it would have been followed by many Avengers getting dusted. “It was just tonally off,” he explained. Smart Hulk’s appearance in Endgame carried more emotional resonance, as he had the reason and time to resonate with the green monster inside himself.
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame is available on Disney+.
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