15 Interesting Hypotheses About Hulk That Make Lots Of Sense
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the most popular superhero franchises in history. It's easy to see why, with almost twenty films, a plethora of compelling characters, and a wealth of source material to draw on. Fan theories are one of the fandoms' favorite pastimes, and there are plenty of them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We rounded up some of the most intriguing fan theories about the most powerful Avenger, ranging from unanswered questions to character quirks. When it comes to the Hulk, he has both senses of humor and danger. As a result, he leaves a particular impression on the audience. Hence he sometimes makes people feel curious about him. Below are the 15 hypotheses about the Hulk that make lots of sense.
"TL;DR: Hulk stayed Hulk for so long because Sakaar is dangerous AF and there was no reason for Banner to come out.
Banner states that in the past he felt that he and Hulk always had one hand on the wheel of control, but during his time on Sakaar it was more like Hulk had full control and Banner was locked in the trunk. I don't think this happened because Hulk somehow gained a greater control of his shared living conditions. I think Banner sub-consciously gave up control and allowed Hulk to stay in charge as a matter of self preservation."
"Just realized it, while Professor Hulk was doing time-travel test on Scott he accidently turned Scott into an old, teen and a baby. Of course it was fun scene, but what if they actually use that tech for selfish reason? For example, Hulk could use that to heal his arm, Cap could use that to become young again, and they still have all memories"
"Hulk wants friendship. It's that easy. Watch Ragnarok. All they talk about is "Thor not Hulk friend". Waititi makes is perfectly clear: Valkyrie comes. They are friends. It's obvious. He helps her. He clears the air with Thor. They establish a friendship between Thor and Hulk, not just Thor and Banner. Hulk runs after Thor. "Friend!" he exclaims. Because he's lonely. Because no one likes or respects him for who he is.
Banner treats him like a trained animal. Hulk liked being a gladiator. He got recognition for who and what he is. Which, at it's core is all anyone wants. There's nothing complicated going on. Ragnarok makes it clear over and over again that Hulk's primary motivation is validation from others, most importantly through friendship. Hulk came out on the Bifrost because Hulk's friends were in trouble. Not because Banner called him.
In fact, Hulk was content to let Banner die. He waited. He didn't do it for Banner. He did it for Valkyrie and Thor. This ain't rocket surgery, folks. Banner will be friends with his inner Hulk."
"Think about it..... we’ve only seen the soul stone used a couple of times; Thanos wiping out half the universe... and as soon as he does that, he has a moment in the soul world with the one he loves (Gamora: “did you do it?” etc) When the Hulk used it to bring everyone back. When Iron Man used it to get rid of Thanos and his army. We then see in a ‘deleted scene’ that Tony has a conversation in the soul world with his loved one (his daughter, all grown up).
So, going back to number two: doesn’t it make sense that Hulk got to meet his loved one in the soul world after he used the stones? Especially when we consider that he told Cap that he tried to bring her back. How does he know he didn’t!? Everyone appeared exactly where they were when they were dusted, maybe she came back to life there!
But no, Hulk KNOWS she didn’t... how could he KNOW? Did Dr Strange go to Vormir and see if she was around? It’s possible, but did he chat to Hulk about it? Also, consider that Thanos meets Gamora in the soul world; because her soul maybe lives there now due to the sacrifice. The same could be said for Nat?"
"How Thanos actually beat the Hulk. It's simple. It involves martial arts and skill, as well as knowledge of anatomy, the Hulk and how his strength works. If Thanos is aware of Hulk as a being that gets stronger with anger, Thanos knows he has to interrupt that process internally.
The Avengers know it as well, which is why they try to calm him down with soft talk and a pretty lady. Thanos accomplishes this with targeted strikes. If you notice re-watching the fight scene, Thanos' first strike is to Hulks neck. In fact, the next few strikes are to his neck and chin. These areas are vital and attacks to these areas will disrupt the flow of oxygen by restricting the ability to breathe, and disorient the brain by concussive force. Chin strikes have a higher chance to rattle someone."
"I was a little annoyed by how underwhelming Hulk was in this movie. I thought that the Hulk would’ve had a sweet little redemption fight with Thanos... after how quickly he was dismantled in the last movie. At least one round even... but nothing. I think I just realized why.
The reason Professor Hulk isn’t really seen fighting, is because Banner (who is now driving the Hulk car) never learned how to fight. His strength is hardly showcased at all. He held up some rocks... he threw a bench across the state... And he picked up a motorcycle and tossed it aside and that was the extent of Hulk showing his power. The reason why I think this is, is because Banner never really learned how to fight and he’s always just been a spectator in the Hulk’s berserker show.
Sure, when he was wearing the hulk buster armor, he was piloting something super strong, but that was a suit of armor programmed to react and fight and super enhance wearer ability (even if they are limited). Savage Hulk was never a skilled fighter himself. He was a berserker who just destroyed everything trying to hurt him or his friends.
His rage fueled all of his punches. During that five years, he became soft and complacent... banner only used his strength only to wow kids, but never knowing how to really use his strength for combat. Some of this is evident when they travel back to New York and Banner is off to get the time stone.
Cap tells him to wreck some stuff and Banner isn’t really sure what to do... he punches a car... he tosses a motorcycle to the side and just stands there dopey. Banner doesn’t have rage and isn’t a berserker. He should really be working with Clint, Bucky and all of the other hand to hand combatants on how to use his power."
"I think the Hulk has been on Sakaar for a very very long time, possibly a hundred years or more. Hulk has been missing since Avengers Age of Ultron and Thor says to him he’s been gone for 2 years and Bruce Banner has no recollection of the 2 years Thor’s talking about. Loki was on Sakaar for 2 weeks before Thor was, but the time between them being knocked out of the Bi-Frost was a total of about 30 seconds.
So, if 30 seconds in the reference frame outside of Sakaar is equal to 2 weeks inside Sakaar then how long is 2 years outside of Sakaar equal to on Sakaar? My thought is Hulk has been on Sakaar for a very long time, and never as Banner, and that leads to other things such as Hulks intelligence increasing as he spends so much time not stuck Banners body.
Also this only works assuming the time difference doesn’t fluctuate, which it could, maybe do evidenced by the fact that time on Sakaar and Asgard seem to be more or less synchronized, shown by Hella's actions because otherwise Thor would’ve shown up in Asgard a mere 5 minutes after Hella got there. However this synchronized time could be a side affect of Thor and Loki smashing through the Bifrost which cause Sakaar to synch with Asgard."
"TL;DR Hulk isn't coming out not because he's afraid of Thanos, but because earth if afraid of him.
I've seen a lot on the internet about how Hulk won't come out because he's afraid of Thanos. But I don't think that's the reason why. Hulk thinks that everyone on earth hates him. For one he straight up says just that in Thor: Ragnarok. And that is the whole reason he leaves leaves earth in Age of Ultron. Also think about it, Thanos isn't actually ever on earth all the times that Banner tries to Hulk out."
"tl;dr Banner was overriding Hulk’s ability to speak, so it wasn’t until Hulk had control that he was able to speak.
One of the “plot holes” pointed out by fans in Ragnarok was that Hulk suddenly developed the ability to speak. However, there is evidence to show that Banner was actually inhibiting Hulk’s voice. Banner says that instead of having a “hand on the wheel” the Hulk had full control.
In earlier Avengers films, Banner retained control of the Hulk(at least enough to prevent friendly fire) and retained memory of what was happening. He did remember Sokovia despite being Hulk at the time.When Banner and Hulk had their 50/50 split Banner may have had control of vocal functions, but Banner’s voice was incompatible with Hulk’s body.
It wasn’t until Hulk gained full control that he was able to speak, and I suspect it wasn’t until after Bannerhulk had hung up on Nat on his was out."
"In Endgame, we can see the Infinity Gauntlet's power painfully burn through Hulk's arm just from him putting it on, to the point that he has to put his arm in a sling for the rest of the movie. He said it emitted the same gamma radiation that made him, so why would Tony Stark, an unenhanced and severely injured human being with no superpowers whatsoever, not sustain a similar if not greater amount of damage than the man the Gauntlet was "made for?" By all rights just being in the same room as it should have killed him.
My theory is that the Hulk didn't just bring everyone back, he also restored the stones. Earlier in the film, the Ancient One tells Bruce that the stones cause the flow of time, and removing even a single one will have disastrous effects on the timeline. This news definitely set off alarm bells in his mind, since he comes from a timeline where all six have been destroyed. This is most likely the reason why he was so insistent about being the one to snap.
He's the only one she told this extra info to, so he knew nobody else would know to bring them back. He immediately says that it should be him, even over Ant-Man's suggestion to discuss it first. He denies Thor's demand to do it(even though he survived being blasted with energy from a sun, the vacuum of space, etc.) despite being arguably worse suited for the task. Heck, the gamma radiation comment could have just been a lie to scare anyone else from doing it."
"I believe Banner is actually now stuck in his Professor Hulk form. We're led to believe he has complete control over Hulk now, but I don't think that's really the case. First of all, he is clearly smaller than the Hulk we're used to, and we don't see him display his strength nearly as much as Hulk does, even in the heat of battle.
I believe in Professor Hulk form he is weaker than Hulk, and can't even get stronger from being angrier. If he was able to increase his power to higher Hulk levels, then we would've seen that happen in the most important battle of the universe. He's still very, very strong, just not Hulk strong."
"TLDR: Teaching the Hulk basic martial arts and allowing him to cognitively develop also taught the Hulk he was fallible. Cull Obsidian would have leathered seven shades out of Hulk. And he knew it. Hulk wasn't nearly the fighter he initially thought he was.
The opening set-to between Hulk and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War was one of my favourite fights for the year. I also believe that Hulk would have stood a better chance, albeit ultimately futile in it's endeavour, had he been the semi-mindless beast he was in Avengers: Ultron, and his training with Valkeryie and his own sentience being developed as he went from 'Hulk' to The Grandmaster's Champion was the reason he stayed out of the fight in New York AND Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War: he knew he was outmatched."
"About Bruce's problem with the Hulk in Infinity War. In the first Avengers movie, Bruce says his secret is that he's always angry, which is how he can turn into the Hulk on command.
Since then, he's been part of this amazing group of people who deeply care for him, he's actually had a conversation with Romanov about settling down, and even on Sakaar when he stopped being the Hulk, you could see he was enjoying his time hanging out with Thor and the others (and if you remember back on Asgard, Bruce jumped out of the ship expecting to turn into the Hulk and landed on his face on the bifrost bridge).
Most importantly, he hasn't had to live his life constantly looking over his shoulder since Romanov came to get him in India. So basically, Bruce Banner was unable to bring out the Hulk in Infinity War because he's been a lot happier/content lately than he was when he met the Avengers."
"In a deleted scene from The Incredible Hulk, Bruce tries to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head by putting the gun in his mouth. This obviously does not work because as he put it in The Avengers, the other guy spit the bullet out. My theory is such, when he fired the gun in his mouth, it caused trauma to his face and broke bones before the Hulk could take over and thwart the attempt.
His bones healed as they were while the change was happening, changing his face, making him go from Ed Norton to Mark Ruffalo. This also changed his voice due to the trauma of a gunshot to the mouth"
"TL;DR: Dr. Strange sent The Hulk to Sakaar which was the first of his four attempts at getting rid of The Hulk.
Evidence: STRANGE HAS THE MOTIVE
The Hulk is too dangerous to ignore. Strange keeps a list of dangerous beings from other worlds per Ragnarok. It's not a stretch to believe he also keeps a list of dangerous humans on earth which would include Bruce Banner who as both a giant green rage monster and co-creator of Ultron is probably right at the top of it."
We rounded up some of the most intriguing fan theories about the most powerful Avenger, ranging from unanswered questions to character quirks. When it comes to the Hulk, he has both senses of humor and danger. As a result, he leaves a particular impression on the audience. Hence he sometimes makes people feel curious about him. Below are the 15 hypotheses about the Hulk that make lots of sense.
1. Hulk Stayed Hulk That Long To Protect Banner
Source: Marvel Studio
"TL;DR: Hulk stayed Hulk for so long because Sakaar is dangerous AF and there was no reason for Banner to come out.
Banner states that in the past he felt that he and Hulk always had one hand on the wheel of control, but during his time on Sakaar it was more like Hulk had full control and Banner was locked in the trunk. I don't think this happened because Hulk somehow gained a greater control of his shared living conditions. I think Banner sub-consciously gave up control and allowed Hulk to stay in charge as a matter of self preservation."
2. Hulk Unintentionally Created An Immortality Machine In 'Endgame'
Source: Marvel Studio
"Just realized it, while Professor Hulk was doing time-travel test on Scott he accidently turned Scott into an old, teen and a baby. Of course it was fun scene, but what if they actually use that tech for selfish reason? For example, Hulk could use that to heal his arm, Cap could use that to become young again, and they still have all memories"
3. Hulk Helps Banner Only When His Friends Are At Risk
Source: Marvel Studio
"Hulk wants friendship. It's that easy. Watch Ragnarok. All they talk about is "Thor not Hulk friend". Waititi makes is perfectly clear: Valkyrie comes. They are friends. It's obvious. He helps her. He clears the air with Thor. They establish a friendship between Thor and Hulk, not just Thor and Banner. Hulk runs after Thor. "Friend!" he exclaims. Because he's lonely. Because no one likes or respects him for who he is.
Banner treats him like a trained animal. Hulk liked being a gladiator. He got recognition for who and what he is. Which, at it's core is all anyone wants. There's nothing complicated going on. Ragnarok makes it clear over and over again that Hulk's primary motivation is validation from others, most importantly through friendship. Hulk came out on the Bifrost because Hulk's friends were in trouble. Not because Banner called him.
In fact, Hulk was content to let Banner die. He waited. He didn't do it for Banner. He did it for Valkyrie and Thor. This ain't rocket surgery, folks. Banner will be friends with his inner Hulk."
4. Hulk Knew He Couldn’t Revitalize Natasha Because He Met Her In The Soul World
Source: Marvel Studio
"Think about it..... we’ve only seen the soul stone used a couple of times; Thanos wiping out half the universe... and as soon as he does that, he has a moment in the soul world with the one he loves (Gamora: “did you do it?” etc) When the Hulk used it to bring everyone back. When Iron Man used it to get rid of Thanos and his army. We then see in a ‘deleted scene’ that Tony has a conversation in the soul world with his loved one (his daughter, all grown up).
So, going back to number two: doesn’t it make sense that Hulk got to meet his loved one in the soul world after he used the stones? Especially when we consider that he told Cap that he tried to bring her back. How does he know he didn’t!? Everyone appeared exactly where they were when they were dusted, maybe she came back to life there!
But no, Hulk KNOWS she didn’t... how could he KNOW? Did Dr Strange go to Vormir and see if she was around? It’s possible, but did he chat to Hulk about it? Also, consider that Thanos meets Gamora in the soul world; because her soul maybe lives there now due to the sacrifice. The same could be said for Nat?"
5. Thanos Can Beat The Hulk Because He Knew Hulk's Operation
Source: Marvel Studio
"How Thanos actually beat the Hulk. It's simple. It involves martial arts and skill, as well as knowledge of anatomy, the Hulk and how his strength works. If Thanos is aware of Hulk as a being that gets stronger with anger, Thanos knows he has to interrupt that process internally.
The Avengers know it as well, which is why they try to calm him down with soft talk and a pretty lady. Thanos accomplishes this with targeted strikes. If you notice re-watching the fight scene, Thanos' first strike is to Hulks neck. In fact, the next few strikes are to his neck and chin. These areas are vital and attacks to these areas will disrupt the flow of oxygen by restricting the ability to breathe, and disorient the brain by concussive force. Chin strikes have a higher chance to rattle someone."
6. Banner Didn't Learned To Fight, So Professor Hulk Isn't Seen Fighting In 'Endgame'
Source: Marvel Studio
"I was a little annoyed by how underwhelming Hulk was in this movie. I thought that the Hulk would’ve had a sweet little redemption fight with Thanos... after how quickly he was dismantled in the last movie. At least one round even... but nothing. I think I just realized why.
The reason Professor Hulk isn’t really seen fighting, is because Banner (who is now driving the Hulk car) never learned how to fight. His strength is hardly showcased at all. He held up some rocks... he threw a bench across the state... And he picked up a motorcycle and tossed it aside and that was the extent of Hulk showing his power. The reason why I think this is, is because Banner never really learned how to fight and he’s always just been a spectator in the Hulk’s berserker show.
Sure, when he was wearing the hulk buster armor, he was piloting something super strong, but that was a suit of armor programmed to react and fight and super enhance wearer ability (even if they are limited). Savage Hulk was never a skilled fighter himself. He was a berserker who just destroyed everything trying to hurt him or his friends.
His rage fueled all of his punches. During that five years, he became soft and complacent... banner only used his strength only to wow kids, but never knowing how to really use his strength for combat. Some of this is evident when they travel back to New York and Banner is off to get the time stone.
Cap tells him to wreck some stuff and Banner isn’t really sure what to do... he punches a car... he tosses a motorcycle to the side and just stands there dopey. Banner doesn’t have rage and isn’t a berserker. He should really be working with Clint, Bucky and all of the other hand to hand combatants on how to use his power."
7. Hulk Stayed On Sakaar A Lot Longer Than We Thought
Source: Marvel Studio
"I think the Hulk has been on Sakaar for a very very long time, possibly a hundred years or more. Hulk has been missing since Avengers Age of Ultron and Thor says to him he’s been gone for 2 years and Bruce Banner has no recollection of the 2 years Thor’s talking about. Loki was on Sakaar for 2 weeks before Thor was, but the time between them being knocked out of the Bi-Frost was a total of about 30 seconds.
So, if 30 seconds in the reference frame outside of Sakaar is equal to 2 weeks inside Sakaar then how long is 2 years outside of Sakaar equal to on Sakaar? My thought is Hulk has been on Sakaar for a very long time, and never as Banner, and that leads to other things such as Hulks intelligence increasing as he spends so much time not stuck Banners body.
Also this only works assuming the time difference doesn’t fluctuate, which it could, maybe do evidenced by the fact that time on Sakaar and Asgard seem to be more or less synchronized, shown by Hella's actions because otherwise Thor would’ve shown up in Asgard a mere 5 minutes after Hella got there. However this synchronized time could be a side affect of Thor and Loki smashing through the Bifrost which cause Sakaar to synch with Asgard."
8. Hulk Isn't Scared Of Thanos
Source: Marvel Studio
"TL;DR Hulk isn't coming out not because he's afraid of Thanos, but because earth if afraid of him.
I've seen a lot on the internet about how Hulk won't come out because he's afraid of Thanos. But I don't think that's the reason why. Hulk thinks that everyone on earth hates him. For one he straight up says just that in Thor: Ragnarok. And that is the whole reason he leaves leaves earth in Age of Ultron. Also think about it, Thanos isn't actually ever on earth all the times that Banner tries to Hulk out."
9. Banner Was Really Deterring Hulk’s Voice In 'Ragnarok'
Source: Marvel Studio
"tl;dr Banner was overriding Hulk’s ability to speak, so it wasn’t until Hulk had control that he was able to speak.
One of the “plot holes” pointed out by fans in Ragnarok was that Hulk suddenly developed the ability to speak. However, there is evidence to show that Banner was actually inhibiting Hulk’s voice. Banner says that instead of having a “hand on the wheel” the Hulk had full control.
In earlier Avengers films, Banner retained control of the Hulk(at least enough to prevent friendly fire) and retained memory of what was happening. He did remember Sokovia despite being Hulk at the time.When Banner and Hulk had their 50/50 split Banner may have had control of vocal functions, but Banner’s voice was incompatible with Hulk’s body.
It wasn’t until Hulk gained full control that he was able to speak, and I suspect it wasn’t until after Bannerhulk had hung up on Nat on his was out."
10. Hulk Gave Back The Infinity Stones
Source: Marvel Studio
"In Endgame, we can see the Infinity Gauntlet's power painfully burn through Hulk's arm just from him putting it on, to the point that he has to put his arm in a sling for the rest of the movie. He said it emitted the same gamma radiation that made him, so why would Tony Stark, an unenhanced and severely injured human being with no superpowers whatsoever, not sustain a similar if not greater amount of damage than the man the Gauntlet was "made for?" By all rights just being in the same room as it should have killed him.
My theory is that the Hulk didn't just bring everyone back, he also restored the stones. Earlier in the film, the Ancient One tells Bruce that the stones cause the flow of time, and removing even a single one will have disastrous effects on the timeline. This news definitely set off alarm bells in his mind, since he comes from a timeline where all six have been destroyed. This is most likely the reason why he was so insistent about being the one to snap.
He's the only one she told this extra info to, so he knew nobody else would know to bring them back. He immediately says that it should be him, even over Ant-Man's suggestion to discuss it first. He denies Thor's demand to do it(even though he survived being blasted with energy from a sun, the vacuum of space, etc.) despite being arguably worse suited for the task. Heck, the gamma radiation comment could have just been a lie to scare anyone else from doing it."
11. Bruce Is Stuck In Professor Hulk Form
Source: Marvel Studio
"I believe Banner is actually now stuck in his Professor Hulk form. We're led to believe he has complete control over Hulk now, but I don't think that's really the case. First of all, he is clearly smaller than the Hulk we're used to, and we don't see him display his strength nearly as much as Hulk does, even in the heat of battle.
I believe in Professor Hulk form he is weaker than Hulk, and can't even get stronger from being angrier. If he was able to increase his power to higher Hulk levels, then we would've seen that happen in the most important battle of the universe. He's still very, very strong, just not Hulk strong."
12. Hulk's Time On Sakaar Caused Him To Overcome A 'Centipede's Dilemma'
Source: Marvel Studio
"TLDR: Teaching the Hulk basic martial arts and allowing him to cognitively develop also taught the Hulk he was fallible. Cull Obsidian would have leathered seven shades out of Hulk. And he knew it. Hulk wasn't nearly the fighter he initially thought he was.
The opening set-to between Hulk and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War was one of my favourite fights for the year. I also believe that Hulk would have stood a better chance, albeit ultimately futile in it's endeavour, had he been the semi-mindless beast he was in Avengers: Ultron, and his training with Valkeryie and his own sentience being developed as he went from 'Hulk' to The Grandmaster's Champion was the reason he stayed out of the fight in New York AND Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War: he knew he was outmatched."
13. Banner Can't Bring Out The Hulk In 'Infinity War' Because He's Actually Happy
Source: Marvel Studio
"About Bruce's problem with the Hulk in Infinity War. In the first Avengers movie, Bruce says his secret is that he's always angry, which is how he can turn into the Hulk on command.
Since then, he's been part of this amazing group of people who deeply care for him, he's actually had a conversation with Romanov about settling down, and even on Sakaar when he stopped being the Hulk, you could see he was enjoying his time hanging out with Thor and the others (and if you remember back on Asgard, Bruce jumped out of the ship expecting to turn into the Hulk and landed on his face on the bifrost bridge).
Most importantly, he hasn't had to live his life constantly looking over his shoulder since Romanov came to get him in India. So basically, Bruce Banner was unable to bring out the Hulk in Infinity War because he's been a lot happier/content lately than he was when he met the Avengers."
14. Bruce Banner's Suicide Attempt Transformed His Face
Source: Marvel Studio
"In a deleted scene from The Incredible Hulk, Bruce tries to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head by putting the gun in his mouth. This obviously does not work because as he put it in The Avengers, the other guy spit the bullet out. My theory is such, when he fired the gun in his mouth, it caused trauma to his face and broke bones before the Hulk could take over and thwart the attempt.
His bones healed as they were while the change was happening, changing his face, making him go from Ed Norton to Mark Ruffalo. This also changed his voice due to the trauma of a gunshot to the mouth"
15. Dr. Strange Sent The Hulk To Sakaar And Then Attempted To Kill Him
Source: Marvel Studio
"TL;DR: Dr. Strange sent The Hulk to Sakaar which was the first of his four attempts at getting rid of The Hulk.
Evidence: STRANGE HAS THE MOTIVE
The Hulk is too dangerous to ignore. Strange keeps a list of dangerous beings from other worlds per Ragnarok. It's not a stretch to believe he also keeps a list of dangerous humans on earth which would include Bruce Banner who as both a giant green rage monster and co-creator of Ultron is probably right at the top of it."
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