Every Avenger's inner journey went through a satisfying development in Avengers: Endgame, but Hulk was left with an open-ended and mostly underwhelming transformation. Most of Bruce Banner's live-action appearances focused on his conflict with his Gamma-irradiated alter ego. That changed slightly in The Avengers, where Banner demonstrated a greater degree of control over the Hulk while fighting alongside the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The green Avenger's conflict once again evolved in Thor: Ragnarok, where the Hulk took over and became an intergalactic gladiator. Avengers: Infinity War then flipped it around and featured Bruce Banner without the Hulk, but even though Hulk's absence suggested a dramatic transformation in Avengers: Endgame, his actual appearance as Smart Hulk — a comedy relief character — disappointed many fans.
By contrast, each of the original Avengers all got fitting conclusions. The most obvious ones were Tony Stark's final transformation into a selfless hero when he wielded the Infinity Gauntlet and Captain America's retirement with Peggy Carter, but Thor also learned to forge his own destiny, Black Widow made up for the "red in her ledger," and Hawkeye abandoned his Ronin persona. Unfortunately, Hulk's evolution happened offscreen during the 5-year time jump, and his character arc had nowhere else to go after that.
The biggest problem with Bruce Banner's transformation into Smart Hulk was precisely how abrupt it was. The dilemma that made him suffer for several years was resolved instantly, and Avengers: Endgame didn't seem to consider important enough to depict it onscreen. However, Smart Hulk's introduction wasn't always going to be so sudden. The deleted scene that was included in the movie's re-release revealed that Smart Hulk was going to be the MCU's last remaining hero after the Snap in Infinity War, showcasing how Hulk and Bruce Banner both had finally become one respected hero instead of the volatile monster they were known as.
The deleted scene would have given Smart Hulk a bit more complexity in the final movie, but the main problem still stands. Smart Hulk doesn't have a real character arc during the entirety of Avengers: Endgame. But whereas Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and Thanos enjoyed a final sendoff (linearly speaking, at least), Hulk still has plenty of potential stories left in him, including his supporting role in the She-Hulk Disney+ show and perhaps as a mentor (or even villain) in The Avengers 5. A more conclusive storyline would have limited Hulk's future appearances at a time when the MCU needs an original Avenger to pass on the torch to a new generation.
In the end, Hulk's raw power and Bruce Banner's intellect did find a long-awaited agreement, though they left no room for new surprises in Avengers: Endgame. The closest thing to a character arc Smart Hulk got in the movie was his realization that the Gamma radiation in his body, a curse he suffered through for so long, ended up being ideal to wield the Infinity Stones and save the universe. Fortunately, Hulk's viable storylines, such as his fight against Red Hulk, a long-awaited rematch with the Abomination, or Smart Hulk's death to redeem Savage Hulk are all very exciting possibilities.
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