In the closing minutes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Incredible Hulk went away. He flew off in a Quinjet and it wasn’t until last year’s Thor: Ragnarok that we learned where he landed and what he’d been doing. In Avengers: Infinity War, he’s coming home to Earth, and he’s meeting up with his pals after a long hiatus. Also, he’s running from the one thing in the universe that makes him look small.
“Once again, I think he’s trying to find his place in the line-up,” star Mark Ruffalo tells us on set. “He’s having some difficulties integrating with the rest of the group, but he’s also privy to some information that is essential for their survival… Banner knows probably more about Thanos than probably anybody and he’s really trying to impress on everybody how dangerous he is.”
But what does The Hulk think about The Mad Titan? Ruffalo smiles and adds: “The Hulk is also mightily impressed by Thanos.”
Having now played the character for six years, Ruffalo is well aware of the character’s trajectory across the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and those changes will be seen best in Infinity War over his interactions with the other Avengers. The lines between Bruce Banner and The Hulk are starting to blur and when the genius scientist turns into the monster, he can actually express himself using sentences.
“Banner’s had a life changing experience in Thor: Ragnarok that makes him much more expressive and not so internalized,” Ruffalo says. “So it’s not combative but (The Avengers) are not so in-sync as they were… Plus, Banner doesn’t understand Civil War. He just doesn’t get it.”
One Avenger in particular will be eager to see his return: Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, a reunion that has been years in the making at this point. The pair shared a romance in Age of Ultron that will certainly still be felt in the new film.
“They’re star-crossed lovers. So it’ll be something they’re dealing with for the rest of their living days I think. Whether it’s requited or unrequited, I don’t imagine that’s gonna go away any time soon in one iteration or another.”
Thanos presents the biggest problem The Avengers have ever faced. They tackled invading aliens in New York and took down Ultron in Sokovia, but those pale in comparison. Thanos wants to eliminate life all over the universe, to control time and space with those pesky Infinity Stones. How can The Avengers possibly take down their most powerful foe?
“There’s no way to overcome what they’re facing without in some way coming to terms with their differences and embracing their diversity,” Ruffalo says of their mission. “That’s essentially a core value of the film and that together, only together, can they triumph.”
There is one thing they’ve got going for them in the fight thought. They have a Hulk.
Avengers: Infinity War arrives in theaters on April 27.
Check back here on Thursday for our interview with directors Anthony and Joe Russo from the set of Avengers: Infinity War!
