Aside from some intense battle sequences and tension-filled time travel antics, Avengers: Endgame was chock-full of character development. Not only did we see satisfying endings for both Captain America and Iron Man, but directors Anthony and Joe Russo teased future plot threads for other MCU characters, which are sure to come to light as we move towards the end of Phase 3 and into Phase 4.
While there are plenty of MCU movies in the works – along with a handful of TV series that will air exclusively on Disney’s new streaming service – one character’s future is looking a little grim. During the events of Endgame, after the Avengers managed to collect all six Infinity Stones, Hulk took one for the team and donned their makeshift Iron Man gauntlet. While he was successful in reversing the effects of the snap, the burst of energy released left permanent damage.
Not unlike Thanos – who suffered his own set of injuries after the events of Infinity War – Hulk was left scarred and burnt after he harnessed the power of all six stones. While fans were hopeful that the green giant would recover, it doesn’t look like that’s the case. Speaking to ComicBook.com, co-director Joe Russo revealed that Hulk’s injuries are, for all intents and purposes, permanent.
“He’s lost an arm,” Russo said. “He lost Natasha. That’s not coming back. He’s damaged himself. I don’t know. It’s interesting. That’s permanent damage, the same way that it was permanent damage with Thanos. It’s irreversible damage. His arm, if you noticed, is a lot skinnier. It’s blackened. So, he loses a lot of strength there.”
That being said, all hope is not lost. As Russo was quick to point out, there are a lot of intelligent scientists and doctors throughout the MCU, and there’s a good chance one of them might be able to help out. After all, Wakandan scientists were able to graft a vibranium arm onto Bucky, so anything’s possible.
“But who knows? There’s a lot of smart people left,” he explained. “Maybe someone helps him repair that. Maybe someone gives him a new arm. I have no idea where that character goes from here. The nice thing is we didn’t have to pay attention to where it goes after this, we just try to tell a satisfying ending.”
What do you think, though? After the events of Avengers: Endgame, should Hulk be relegated to an advisory role moving forward, or would you rather see him on the battlefield? Let us know in the comments section down below.
