The Incredible Hulk has always been known for his catchy two-word turns of phrase – e.g. “Puny God” or, the classic, “Hulk smash!” – but in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, the angry green giant will have expanded his vocabulary.
At Marvel’s SDCC panel, Mark Ruffalo spoke about how the character will be portrayed differently in the threequel, as a consequence of what he’s been doing since we last saw Hulk when he left Earth at the end of 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.
This was supported by the new Thor: Ragnarok trailer, which showed him engaging in a proper conversation with his Asgardian buddy. Sure, the grammar and sentence syntax still need some work, but he’s come a long way. He’s even mastered the art of banter and backhanded compliments (“Hulk like rage fire. Thor like smoldering fire.”)
The reason for this was also revealed by Ruffalo, and as he explains, it’s because Hulk has actually been in control for a long time and has not changed back into Bruce Banner for a whole two years. Presumably, that means that Banner hasn’t had a look in since he was with Black Widow back in Sokovia.
Speaking about why Hulk has been in charge for so long, here’s what the actor had to share:
“Hulk refuses to turn back to Banner, and he’s actually enjoying his time on Sakaar. He’s enjoying his life for once, and he’ll be damned if he’s going back to Banner.”
As the new trailer revealed, though, Banner will reassert himself once he bumps into Thor again. However, Hulk will then be called upon when the God of Thunder needs to assemble a team to stop Hela, the Goddess of the Underworld, from taking over Asgard.
While none of this is groundbreaking news, these are still some big developments for Hulk and could have important repercussions for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.
Thor: Ragnarok opens in theatres on November 3rd.
