Fan theories are a dime a dozen. Most of them border on insanity or downright perversion, but a few will come along that not only make sense, but have the possibility to end up coming to fruition. The latest theory that is gaining traction with fans (it has a 78% UpVote rating at the time of this writing) deals with Avengers 4 and The Hulk in a somewhat familiar role from the comics. The theory comes from a Reddit user and begins by saying:
“Thanos will put Black Widow’s life in danger which will get Bruce really angry but still not Hulk out. Then she will eventually die which will finally unleash the Hulk, but plot twist! It’s just a reality gem trick [and] Widow isn’t actually dead, Thanos just wanted to unleash the Hulk like Loki did in The Avengers but this time he will Mind Control Hulk to help him fight the Avengers.”
This theory, which comes from user wheresthetrigger123 on Reddit, is a theme that has happened in the comics multiple times. The Hulk, in his full green goliath mode, is more easily susceptible to being mind-controlled and used as a weapon against the Avengers. However, another Reddit user, Whitluck, posted a counter theory:
“I actually think vice versa, from how easily Thanos dispatched the Hulk in Infinity War. He will not see him as a threat at all and might simply be killing Black Widow as an example to other Avenger aggressors. Of course, this will enrage and traumatize Banner/Hulk to the point where they both feel absolute fury and reach a strength which Thanos could never have anticipated, leading to a brutal beating that comes close to ending Thanos’s motives completely. Ultimately fulfilling the traditional comic lore of why Thanos considers The Hulk one of the few beings he never wishes to confront directly.”
Both of these theories run on a similar thread, and the fans really seem to be gravitating towards them, but in reality, they’re thin at best. After the confirmation of the leaked concept art from Avengers 4, we know that Hulk will be donning a special suit. The suit will most likely play into how Bruce Banner and Hulk finally come to terms with each other and how the Hulk finally arrives for the fight.
The suit image basically blows a huge hole in both theories, because why would Hulk get a suit from Thanos if he is nothing more than a mindless weapon? And looking at the counter theory, if he reached a level of brutal strength that frightens even Thanos off of pure emotional rage, why would he take the time to put on the suit?
With very little information being released about the upcoming film, we do know that it will take place about 3 months after the snap. Banner ended Avengers: Infinity War saying that he and Hulk need to talk. The best guess here, based on the concept art and the time past in the film, is that Banner and Hulk have reached a sort of agreement and the suit (beit Wakandan tech or Stark tech) help the two coexist as a one solid unit.
At the end of the day, we won’t know anything until more official information is released, and we probably have a couple months still before that happens. Until then, let the fan theories continue to fly as we all wait with baited breath for the final chapter in the MCU’s Phase 3.
What do you think of these theories? Do you have any theories of your own? Let us know in the comments below!