Avengers: Endgame has been nearly universally praised since its release this past April. It successfully capped of the 23-film Infinity Saga as well as providing cathartic ends for most of the main cast. There are, however, a few exceptions to this and one of the most notable is the treatment of the Incredible Hulk.
The Green Goliath’s transformation into his “Professor Hulk” persona left many scratching their head. It didn’t seem to fit with the overall arc that the angriest Avenger had been traveling on. But, the creative team behind the decision stand by it, and are even doubling down on how integral Bruce Banner and his alter ego were to the proceedings in Endgame.
For starters, the Russo Brothers, the acclaimed directors of the film, are holding fast to the Hulk being the one to perform the second snap. As the character himself expressed in the movie, he’s the only one who could survive the snap because he was a Gamma powered creature and the stones emanated the same radiation.
In this regard, Hulk had to be Professor Hulk so that he would have the required wherewithal to be able to put the gauntlet on and make the snap happen. But there was more to his role than just being “lucky” enough to be a Gamma monster for the sake of clicking his fingers together. Banner’s intellect and the fact that he’s a scientist were also of the utmost importance.
Stephen Markus, co-writer on the production, points to Bruce confronting the Ancient One in a bid to get her Infinity Stone. The meeting had to happen because it established some of the foundational blocks of the story that would come into play later. Moreover, it had to happen with Banner because, arguably, no one else (sans Doctor Strange, who was, you know, a pile of dust) would be able to understand the complexity.
It was another scene that took a lot of rejiggering and jiggering, to make complicated things clear and clear enough so that people could track why certain decisions are made later.
Co-director Joe Russo was quick to follow up on that as well, elaborating on the Ancient One’s motivations:
And that if this is how, why she is, that if Strange were to give that stone away willingly, that there would be purpose behind that action, and that perhaps the purpose of that action was for her in this moment. This scene paints the stakes for motivating Cap to return at the end of the movie.
So, while the overall storyline of the Hulk is one of the few divisive choices in Avengers: Endgame, it’s clear the those behind the decision thought it through and it’s nice to hear how much time and effort went into crafting the tale, even if audience didn’t agree with every little detail.