Endgame – Righting A Wrong: Professor Hulk

After the characterization of Thor, the next most divisive aspect of Avengers: Endgame is probably Professor Hulk. At the end of Infinity War, we left Bruce Banner and Hulk at an interesting point in their relationship – after his defeat at Thanos’ hands, Hulk had stubbornly refused to come out for the whole movie. As a result, Banner had to step up and prove that he could be a hero without the help of his alter ego. One of the last lines Banner speaks in the movie is, “Hulk, we got a lot to figure out pal.” There was a lot of potential in this ending – to delve deeper in to their dynamic than ever before – but it was completely wasted in the new movie, when the directors chose to resolve the conflict entirely off-screen.

We are introduced to Professor Hulk when the Avengers approach him, following Tony’s refusal to develop time travel. This scene is full of cringe-worthy humor and it is a throwaway line that tells us that Bruce found a way to balance the Hulk’s and his personalities. This feels extremely anti-climatic for all those who were expecting any arc at all for the character. As with Thor, Professor Hulk is treated as a punchline throughout the movie, and the only significant thing the character does is perform the reverse snap. Even his reaction to Natasha’s death seems insufficient. But perhaps the biggest disappointment to fans was that the Hulk was not given a rematch with Thanos.

It is widely known that the character of Bruce Banner peaked in 2012’s Avengers, and was never treated with the same sincerity. While he was extremely entertaining in Thor: Ragnarok, the character of Bruce was once again treated like a punchline. Endgame had the chance to finally do justice to the arc that had been teased from the very beginning. Bruce’s relationship with Hulk has always been one fraught with tension – he has to tread carefully for fear of an untimely appearance of the rage monster. And with Infinity War introducing a Hulk reluctant to come out even when needed, there was yet another dimension added to the internal conflict. This is what has kept the character interesting. However, the latest iteration does away with the conflict, and so renders Bruce Banner a very bland character. There really was nothing that the character does in the movie that required the Hulk’s strength, until the reverse snap in the final act.

Thus, what the movie could have done differently was to introduce us to a troubled Banner who is working on trying to achieve a balance between his two selves. As the Avengers begin their mission and the plot kicks in, he would put that project on the back burner, but not ignoring it. We would also get to see some of the experiments he conducts on himself. In addition, some heartfelt conversations with Natasha, reminiscent of Avengers: Age of Ultron, would further help flesh out the character. Towards the end, when all the Infinity Stones have been assembled, and Bruce volunteers to perform the snap, he strikes upon the perfect solution to balance the Hulk and himself, thus transforming into Professor Hulk. Alternately, he could arrive at the solution during the conversation with the Ancient One, giving her a more definite role in the film. In the final battle, Professor Hulk gets to battle Thanos again, and he fuels his rage with the grief of Black Widow’s death.

This, I think, would make a more satisfying path for the character to take, and would leave him exactly where the present version of the movie does, for whatever the studio has in store for him.