Though Avengers: Infinity War is set to introduce the Iron Spider armor and Thor’s Dwarven-forged battle ax, Jarnbjorn, fans of Tony Stark have their eyes fixed on one thing: the Mark XLIV.
Better known to you, I and Bruce Banner as the famous Hulkbuster, Stark’s super-sized WMD originally made its debut in Age of Ultron, where Robert Downey Jr.’s whip-smart hero called upon Veronica in a last-ditch attempt to put Hulk to sleep – or at the very least, try.
With Infinity War, Banner and Stark will be coming together in the face of a common enemy: Thanos. Hell, eagle-eyed fans have even theorized that Mark Ruffalo’s mild-mannered scientist is actually the one piloting the Mark XLIV suit as it roars into Wakanda. One way or another, the Hulkbuster (Thanosbuster?) is still a formidable beast, as this newly-unveiled art reveals – check it out in the gallery below (along with some recent HD screenshots).
First spotted by the folks over at MCU News & Tweets, this image is merely a concept design for Avengers: Infinity War, and is therefore not indicative of the Hulkbuster’s final appearance. Still, it’s a pretty cool rendering of Stark’s deadliest weapon.
Circling back to that fan theory, it’s worth bearing in mind that Mark Ruffalo’s Avenger was pictured alongside the Hulkbuster’s mechanized arm in the original teaser, leading many to conclude that Tony Stark has, in fact, handed over control of Veronica – a failsafe protocol that Banner helped design – to his science buddy. Not only that, but the trailer shot of Falcon flying over what can only be the exterior wall of Wakanda also shows the Hulkbuster battling the Black Order’s four-armed minions, so take from that what you will.
With Thanos threatening to bring balance back to the universe (your guess is as good as ours), Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are left with little choice but to set aside their differences and save not just the world, but the entire universe. Yes, Avengers: Infinity War looks set to up the ante quite considerably, and we’ll be able to see what all the fuss is about on May 4th.
