Russo Brothers explain the origin of Professor Hulk in Avengers: Endgame

Although Avengers: Endgame was released months ago, the Russo Brothers are still answering questions about some of the film’s most bizarre and confusing moments. Recently, they explained how the Hulk/Banner hybrid came to exist.

Move over JK Rowling, there’s a new pair of over-explainers in town. Whether you loved it or hated it, one of the most surprising moments in Avengers: Endgame was the reveal that in the five years after the snap but before the events of Endgame, the Hulk and Bruce Banner ended up fusing to create some sort of smart hulk hybrid.

In a recent interview with Wired, the Russo Brothers sat down to answer questions and tie up loose ends about Endgame, one of which was how (and why) exactly Bruce Banner became permanently green.

Watch the full interview here: 

According to the Russo Bros, Professor Hulk was born out of Bruce Banner’s inability to cope with the Avengers’ defeat at the hands of Thanos. Apparently, while Hawkeye was busy mauling Japanese gangsters and Black Widow was organizing a global task force, Bruce Banner came up with a way to ensure that neither he (nor the Hulk) would ever fail at defeating Thanos again.

By merging the two of them into one being, which possessed the strength of Hulk and the intelligence of Bruce Banner, it was his way of coping with the trauma and loss created after the Snap.

According to the Russos, smart hulk was actually planned to make his debut in Avengers: Infinity War, but the timing didn’t quite line up and his appearance was eventually cut. This tidbit of information is one of many reveals to come from the Russo Brothers about plot holes and confusing moments in both Endgame and Infinity war in past months.

While it can get a little tiresome to constantly be reading updates and explanations for a movie that was released months ago, we have to give the Russo Brothers credit — some creators (like those of a certain HBO series) seem to be avoiding answering questions altogether.

How do you feel about the explanation behind Smart Hulk? What was your most surprising moment in Endgame? Sound off in the comments below.