Marvel Teased A Way Hulk Could Have Defeated Thanos 11 Years Before Infinity War, & It Makes Hulk’s Loss Even Better

One detail from The Incredible Hulk makes Thanos’ victory over the Hulk more tragic in Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers: Infinity War‘s opening action sequence marked the last time the MCU’s savage Hulk appeared on the big screen, as Bruce Banner’s Gamma monster refused to return due to his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mad тιтan. Following Thanos’ Snap, Bruce Banner developed his Smart Hulk transformation, which allowed him to retain his human mind in a slightly less powerful form of the Hulk.

Bruce Banner’s original Hulk persona was powerful enough to stop a Chitauri Leviathan ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in its tracks with a single punch, wipe out human and extraterrestrial armies, and stand his ground against opponents like Thor and Iron Man’s Hulkbuster. Hulk even earned the тιтle of Sakaar’s Champion after he defeated an unknown number of alien warriors between the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok. Yet, Thanos knocked the Hulk unconscious in minutes and without breaking a sweat before Thanos arrived on Earth.

Thanos Defeated Hulk With Pure Combat Technique

Thanos’ Martial Arts Knowledge Gave Him An Advantage Over Hulk’s Brute Force

While Hulk is demonstrably stronger than Thanos, Thanos is much more proficient in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. In Avengers: Infinity War‘s opening scene, Thanos lands precise blows on very specific parts of Hulk’s body, dodges Hulk’s sloppy punches, and drives Hulk’s momentum into his own attacks and their environment. Hulk is visibly weakened and confused as soon as Thanos begins his counterattack. Just the way Thanos breaks free from Hulk’s chokehold suggests the Mad тιтan targets Hulk’s weak points from the start.

The Hulk has always used brute force to fight his enemies. Even when a more intellectually developed Hulk rose to the top of the Grandmaster’s championship, the Jade Giant used a straightforward approach to battle with little to no actual combat technique. Every member of the Avengers and Loki himself acknowledged this at some point in the Infinity Saga by sending Hulk into battle like a cannonball. Meanwhile, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian allow Hulk to attack Thanos, knowing full well that the Mad тιтan’s fighting skills would earn him the victory sooner or later.

Back when Bruce Banner tried to get rid of the Hulk, he tried learning martial arts and meditation in order to control his rage and be able to fight without unleashing his monstrous alter ego. Banner practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with a local expert in Porto Verde and learned basic self-defense, which allowed him to defend himself from his attackers at the bottling factory, but only before his heart rate increased and he lost control. Unfortunately, Banner’s martial arts training didn’t go too far before his cover was blown.

Smart Hulk looking serious in She-Hulk Attorney at Law

Bruce Banner didn’t continue learning martial arts after The Incredible Hulk, which Banner probably regrets and Hulk probably resents. Usually, Hulk has access to Bruce Banner’ memories and knowledge, but not vice versa. Hulk probably wouldn’t resort to martial arts in battle, but he would be able to use those skills if he needed them, had Banner continued with his training. Even if he couldn’t, Hulk’s disdain for Banner may have increased after he was defeated with the combat technique Banner abandoned a few years back.

Hulk’s time as Sakaar’s Champion in Thor: Ragnarok may have made him complacent before Thanos humbled him with his martial arts expertise. Aside from Hulk’s fear of Thanos, his embarrᴀssment over not remembering Bruce Banner’s martial arts skills may have played into his refusal to come out in Avengers: Infinity War. After Bruce Banner created his Smart Hulk transformation, the original savage Hulk may lie dormant, waiting to take revenge on Banner for his poor treatment over the past decade.