Avengers: Endgame co-writer Stephen McFeely explains the lack of a Hulk-Thanos rematch in the movie. The five-year time jump in the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed flick allowed the surviving heroes to move on from their defeat from Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War. Captain America (Chris Evans) hosted group discussions, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) manned the Avengers HQ and monitored everybody’s whereabouts, while Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) finally got the quiet family life he so wished for. But things were a bit different for Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). He devoted his time integrating himself and his green-rage monster alter ego, giving the public Smart Hulk.

The Hulk was missing for the most part of Infinity War. After his one-on-one fight with Thanos at the beginning of the film, the green-rage monster refused to come out, leaving Bruce on his own as the Avengers faced their biggest enemy. Given this, many expected the Hulk to return with a vengeance, potentially via a rematch with Thanos wherein he finally emerges as the winner. This idea was even used in marketing merchandise for Endgame. But that didn’t happen. In fact, there wasn’t even a one-on-one between the two powerful Marvel characters. While this was disappointing for a lot of fans, there’s a logical reason why this didn’t come to fruition.

Speaking with Backstory (via ComicBook), McFeely explained why a rematch between the Hulk and Thanos didn’t happen in Endgame. Apparently, it had something to do with the state of being for the latter during the movie and that it didn’t make sense for him to go up against the Mad Titan mindlessly. “I know a lot of people were saying they can’t wait for [Hulk and Thanos’] rematch. Well, that would’ve made sense had he not become Smart Hulk. He’s a whole different thing, and that’s not what drives him. So we never thought, ‘Oh, he really is trying to get a crack at Thanos now,’” he said.

As revealed in Endgame’s home entertainment’s commentary, Smart Hulk was supposed to debut much earlier. During Infinity War’s the battle in Wakanda, Bruce would’ve finally successfully cajoled his alter ego out, leading to an epic battle between him and Cull Obsidian. Black Widow then would use the “sun’s getting really low” to calm down only for the Hulk to speak straight English. It sounds like a funny bit, but even the filmmakers admit that its tone and pacing didn’t necessarily fit the film.

Between McFeely’s latest comments and the delay of Smart Hulk’s reveal to Avengers: Endgame, it appears that a rematch with Thanos was never in the cards. Instead, it was the MCU’s main three heroes - Iron Man, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America who had their respective time to battle the Mad Titan which was a more fitting way to go considering that they are this franchise’s holy trinity of characters. The fact that both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers bowed out via the movie made it much more sense. In any case, since Smart Hulk survived the Thanos-debacle, fans can expect to see more of him moving forward as the universe treads new territory in Phase 4.

More: Smart Hulk’s Avengers: Infinity War Cut Role Revealed

Source: Backstory (via ComicBook)

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