The Avengers: Endgame trailers will only reveal footage from the first 20 minutes of the movie, so Marvel fans are dealing with even more secrecy than usual. They’ve basically been working with sad superheroes, a new Hawkeye look, a goofy Ant-Man, and a (probably) missing character. An official synopsis has revealed that there will be more “devastating” events to come, and no one has articulated jack about Peter Parker (!) being alive in the promotional materials so far, which is tragic. However, there’s a potential new clue about Hulk that may indicate changes afoot for Bruce Banner and his dueling persona.
Comic Book Resource was the first to spot a new image released by Orville Redenbacher that’s part of an Endgame themed contest. Is it real? Take a look.
The image looks a little wonky, but here’s a closer peek at Hulk, who’s looking mighty different here as opposed to other previous Marvel Studios films. He appears to be a lot less CGI-ed/Hulked out and more like Mark Ruffalo. So obviously, he looks much more like Bruce Banner, right?
Fans have definitely noticed the change, which is leading people to believe that the Professor Hulk incarnation will appear in Endgame. In other words, Hulk and Banner would merge into a being that possesses Banner’s incredibly analytic mind and Hulk’s brute strength. So, he’d be a greater asset than he already is for the Avengers and maybe help them fix the whole Thanos problem. And yep, folks are calling this transformation for Endgame.
So … I’m not imagining this right? The Hulk looks drastically different between Ragnarok and End Game. Is this what happens when Bruce and the Hulk find “peace” with eachother?? #Avengers #AvengersEndgame pic.twitter.com/0P9VdBGw2r
— Jacob’s Quest (@JacobsQuest) February 8, 2019
Calling it: Bruce Banner and Hulk are finally going to merge into one, becoming Professor Hulk in #AvengersEndgame… It would be a cool way of concluding Banner's arc in the MCU
— Gwendolyn M.J. Stone 🏳️⚧️🎬 (@GwenLovesMovies) February 8, 2019
While Avengers-AoU Hulk looked more monstrous, I think Hulk is resembling Banner more because we're leaning into Professor Hulk. https://t.co/qhqo4DJUtk
— Jacob 🐧 (@HughJacMen) February 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/sdnorton/status/1093703618820259840
If Professor Hulk is really going to be a thing in Endgame, however, one Twitter user noted that there will be a downside. That is, probably no more onscreen Bruce Banner, which is bad news for Fluffalo fans. Still, the fate of the universe is at stake, so maybe the sacrifice will be worth it.
If we're getting Professor Hulk,,,, does that mean I don't get to see Bruce Banner anymore? 🥺💔
— loki alt 🏹 (@thunderfitz) February 8, 2019
For what it’s worth, not everyone is convinced that this image is real or means anything. Bleeding Cool is staying skeptical, but here’s what the Orville Redenbacher contest page looks like in screencap form.