Iron Man's Funeral Teased A Huge Hulk Change Nobody Noticed

Tony Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame teased a major change to Hulk's life that went largely unnoticed. Here's why it could be important later.

Iron Man’s funeral in Avengers: Endgame teased a major change to the Hulk that went largely unnoticed. Thanks to events that took place offscreen between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Hulk is radically different from how he was portrayed in previous MCU installments. In fact, the Hulk persona has seemingly been erased, possibly for good.

Now, the mind and body of the Hulk are controlled entirely by Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner. The character is confirmed to be back in his current form in Marvel’s upcoming She-Hulk show where he’ll appear alongside Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters. It’s currently unclear what the events of the series or Phase 4 in general will offer his character, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time before his situation takes an important turn. The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings post-credits scene showed Banner back in his human form, which is a clue that Banner will be reverted back to the status quo after She-Hulk season 1 ends.

Adding on to the uncertainty of the Smart Hulk debacle is a telling moment in Endgame. Curiously, both General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Banner attended the funeral. What makes this such a significant development is the idea of these two characters peacefully sharing the same space. Several years ago, this scenario wouldn’t have been possible. The general’s hatred of the Hulk and determination to apprehend Banner is a well-known trait of the character in both the comic books and the movies. Their rivalry never officially ended onscreen, but Endgame’s Iron Man funeral strongly suggests that they’re no longer enemies. This should be taken as a sign that Ross is confident that Banner has put an end to the threat posed by his transformations into the Hulk.

What Thaddeus Ross And Banner’s Relationship Could Mean For Phase 4

Thunderbolt Ross actor William Hurt died in March 2022, so while that makes any scenes between his character and Bruce Banner in She-Hulk unlikely, the apparent lack of hostility between them could still be relevant to what comes next. Since Ross is a figurehead of the military, his decision to let bygones be bygones is symbolic of its position toward Banner. It also suggests that there’s some sense of trust on Ross’ part in the idea that Banner truly is in control of the Hulk now and no longer a danger to the world. If that’s really how the world feels now, it’ll be easier for Banner to find acceptance and perhaps even a chance to renew his ties to Ross’ daughter, Betty.

As long as the MCU’s Smart Hulk remains on friendly terms with authorities, he could receive support from the government with his research and could also be given opportunities to advance their own scientific goals. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the new normal that started for Banner in Avengers: Endgame can easily come to a sudden and unfortunate end at any time. With rumors of a World War Hulk movie being on the horizon, it may not be too long before the Hulk returns and forces Banner to resume his life on the run.