Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner and Hulk have always had a complicated relationship. From the actor’s debut as the character in 2012’s The Avengers, fans had already witnessed his temper, as well as his uncontrollable strength.
Hulk would soon get his well-deserved character development, but Banner had quite a struggle in controlling his alter ego in Avengers: Infinity War. Why would he not hulk out when the green monster was needed the most?
The Russo Brothers Explain Why Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Refuses To Come Out
In MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, an explanation was provided as to why the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, decided not to let out the beast in Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner. The book states:
“In early cuts of Infinity War, Banner and the Hulk merged during the movie’s climactic battle in Wakanda, in a sequence that saw the hybrid Smart Hulk burst out of the Hulkbuster armor. But the Russos decided that giving Banner a ‘win’ just seconds before half the cast became ash would induce emotional whiplash.”
So, Banner almost managed to bring out the Hulk in the movie, but the directors scrapped this idea because it did not feel right to give him a victory moment while the rest of the characters vanished into thin air due to the snap.
Instead, they gave Banner a scene where he defeated Cull Obsidian, which, in a sense, is still a winning moment because it proved that the doctor is not dependent on the Hulk. The explanation continued:
“It was too late to shoot new footage, so the production employed the solution that had rescued the ending of the original Iron Man: concocting a sequence entirely from digital elements. Banner uses a Hulkbuster gauntlet (a digital object) to shoot Cull Obsidian (a digital character) into the digital air, where he gets squashed against a digital energy shield.”
Hulk’s refusal to help Banner in his fights became a crucial turning point in their relationship. It was also necessary to show the audience that Banner finally learns how to defend himself without being reliant on the Hulk.
Bruce Banner And Hulk’s Complicated Relationship
In their interview with Entertainment Weekly via SYFY, the Russo Brothers gave another explanation as to why Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk would not come out in Avengers: Infinity War. Many fans believed Thanos scared him out of his wits, but that was not how the directors understood it. The Russos said:
“A lot of people had interpreted that the Hulk was scared of Thanos. The Hulk has had his a** kicked before, and so it wasn’t like the minute he gets his a** 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.”
Hulk dominated Banner’s body from Avengers: Age of Ultron to Thor: Ragnarok, which created a strain in their relationship. Indeed, both the Hulk and Banner wanted to control the green monster’s body.
“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.”
Of course, many theories and speculations have been made as to why the Hulk refuses to come out and protect Banner, but ultimately, he became Smart Hulk, merging Banner’s consciousness with Hulk’s physique so they could work hand in hand and in peace.
