Ipshita Barua
SPOILERS for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The critically-acclaimed and box office hit Shang-Chi had its own moments with numerous cameos. Two of the cameos that left everyone talking about them were Bruce Banner and Abomination. Banner didn’t look like how we saw him last time. Could this indicate a better future for Abomination?
Bruce Banner appeared in the mid-credits of the movie, along with Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. They were summoned by Wong, who also called Shang-Chi to study the mysteriously powerful Ten Rings. While the prime subject was the Rings, Smart-Hulk’s reformed version as Bruce stole the moment. The last time we saw him in Avengers: Endgame, Bruce claimed that he had permanently transformed into Smart-Hulk by combining Banner’s brain and Hulk’s brawn.
Is It A Good Sign For Abomination?
Smart-Hulk going back to Banner could be a good sign for Emil Blonsky who has been trapped in Abomination’s body since The Incredible Hulk. Emil Blonsky was a soldier who took the Super Soldier Serum before injecting himself with Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood. The experiment mutated him into the monstrous Abomination and destabilized his personality. His physical form displayed further changes in Shang-Chi. Now he has grown sharp fins and scales, to look a lot like his comic book counterpart.
Wong’s friendly treatment towards Blonsky and addressing him as Emil hints at the monster’s ability to change. Unlike Emil, it was easier for Bruce to revert to being himself, as he could master Hulk’s anger and ego. But if he can drop Smart-Hulk, Bruce can also reform Abomination.
Blonsky and Banner’s paths will possibly cross again in the upcoming Disney+ series, She-Hulk. We don’t know yet if the former will play a villain, but we look forward to Bruce Banner saving Blonsky and helping him regain his humanity.
