After sitting out most of Avengers: Infinity War, Hulk has some major issues to work through with his alter ego Bruce Banner, and in a recent promotional image for Avengers: Endgame, fans believe that they can see how the two of them are going to resolve their conflict and learn to live together.
As many have rightly pointed out, the big green Avenger isn’t quite looking his usual self in the new pic, appearing a fair bit more ‘Mark Ruffalo’ in the face. With this in mind, some fans have suggested that the hero will be adopting the persona of Professor Hulk, the comic book character who’s essentially a merge of Hulk and Bruce.
Indeed, this is hardly the first time the internet has predicted such a phenomenon for the Infinity War sequel, and it would certainly be a fitting way to resolve the arc of this internally conflicted hero. So while the development still hasn’t been confirmed, it’s all too easy to see why so many fans are taking to Twitter with the same prediction.
So … I’m not imagining this right? The Hulk looks drastically different between Ragnarok and End Game. Is this what happens when Bruce and the Hulk find “peace” with eachother?? #Avengers #AvengersEndgame pic.twitter.com/0P9VdBGw2r
— Jacob’s Quest (@JacobsQuest) February 8, 2019
Calling it: Bruce Banner and Hulk are finally going to merge into one, becoming Professor Hulk in #AvengersEndgame… It would be a cool way of concluding Banner's arc in the MCU
— Gwendolyn M.J. Stone 🏳️⚧️🎬 (@GwenLovesMovies) February 8, 2019
If Professor Hulk is in Endgame, I'ma flip out
— Angelo Jimenez 🫥 (@TheOneWithGelo) February 8, 2019
While Avengers-AoU Hulk looked more monstrous, I think Hulk is resembling Banner more because we're leaning into Professor Hulk. https://t.co/qhqo4DJUtk
— Jacob 🐧 (@HughJacMen) February 8, 2019
If we're getting Professor Hulk,,,, does that mean I don't get to see Bruce Banner anymore? 🥺💔
— loki alt 🏹 (@thunderfitz) February 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/sdnorton/status/1093703618820259840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1093703618820259840&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmarvel%2F2019%2F02%2F08%2Favengers-endgame-movie-2019-photo-hulk-professor-hulk%2F
https://twitter.com/SaulBishop/status/1093730627537428480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1093730627537428480&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmarvel%2F2019%2F02%2F08%2Favengers-endgame-movie-2019-photo-hulk-professor-hulk%2F
I have been telling my friends for years, that we would see Professor Hulk very soon. Now it's coming. Makes perfect sense. You can keep a cgi hulk, and not have to pay Ruffalo for screen time, and just use his voice. So hype for this@Marvel @MCU_Tweets https://t.co/wygqNEHc51
— D2 (@TheLiftedLegacy) February 8, 2019
Like most of the Phase 1 lineup, Bruce Banner’s future in the franchise has yet to be confirmed, though if Endgame does take the Professor Hulk route, then that seems like as good a way as any to conclude his journey. Aside from Bruce’s inner turmoil, perhaps the only loose end that his next film still needs to tie up is his relationship with Black Widow, though seeing how their romantic subplot was never the most popular of storylines, most fans probably wouldn’t be too fussed if the movie only gave this development from Avengers: Age of Ultron a brief nod.
Regardless, we’ll see how Bruce and Hulk learn to get along when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th, 2019.