“I’m calling in Veronica.”
The Hulkbuster armor was one of the big talking points leading up to the release of Age of Ultron in 2015, but it turns out Tony Stark’s super-sized WMD continues to fuel debate on the eve of Avengers: Infinity War.
Amid all of the trailer breakdowns and frame-by-frame analyses, Screen Rant has compiled a report that suggests Bruce Banner is actually the one piloting Hulkbuster (AKA the Mark XLIV) during Infinity War‘s show-stopping teaser. How’s that for a slice of poetic irony?
It’s yet to be confirmed, of course, but considering Mark Ruffalo’s Avenger is pictured alongside the Hulkbuster’s mechanized arm (see below) has led 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 shot of Falcon flying over what can only be the exterior wall of Wakanda shows the Hulkbuster battling the Black Order’s four-armed minions.
Elsewhere, the trailer’s undisputed money shot shows Falcon and War Machine flying above a posse of heroes, including Cap, Bucky, Black Widow, and the Hulk. In short, the Hulk and the Hulkbuster armor are never pictured together.
That means one of two things: either yesterday’s teaser trailer was merely edited in such a way that Hulk and the Mark XLIV never shared the same screen, or Avengers: Infinity War is about to shake things up and place Banner in control of the armor designed solely to placate his raging alter-ego – you know, if the Hulk ever got out of control. Desperate times, desperate measures? If nothing else, the Hulkbuster would be a handy way to transport Banner to Wakanda.
It’s an unprecedented cinematic journey 10 years in the making, and we’ll be able to see if Avengers: Infinity War can possibly live up to the hype on May 4th, 2018 – just don’t be holding out hope for Bruce and Natasha’s fledgling romance.
