Captain America: Brave New World Explains Why Bruce Banner Didn’t Appear

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Warning: SPOILERS for Captain America: Brave New World are ahead!

While “Captain America: Brave New World” is the fourth film in the Captain America series and the 35th Marvel movie overall, it actually functions more as a continuation of earlier Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) productions like “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and to some extent, “Eternals.” Interestingly, this film features significant roles for characters like Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Samuel Sterns, and even a cameo by Betty Ross at the end. However, the Hulk, otherwise known as Bruce Banner, was conspicuously absent from this movie. Director Julius Onah’s explanation for his absence makes his non-appearance more reasonable.

Sam Wilson and Bruce Banner share a history, having interacted in the limited period they spent together during “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”. However, the reason why Banner didn’t assist Wilson or even hang out with his fellow Hulk associates from their shared past, as explained by Onah to The Playlist, is that:

Bruce Banner had no particular connection or obligation towards Sam Wilson or the other Hulk allies during these films. Their interactions were primarily focused on the larger threat posed by Thanos and the Infinity Stones, which didn’t allow for much personal time or bonding between characters.

Ultimately, I believe this movie was intended to showcase Sam’s journey as Captain America. It was crucial that the narrative centered around Sam utilizing his unique abilities to conquer adversity. In doing so, we considered incorporating Banner (and Mark Ruffalo is fantastic), but it seemed to divert attention from Sam’s storyline. Discussions about his inclusion did occur, yet in the end, it felt more fitting for this film to be solely focused on Sam.

More About Captain America: Brave New World

Brave New World discusses the authenticity behind our movie production, addressing speculations about a supposedly difficult behavior by Harrison Ford.

In a new take on events, Captain America: Brave New World underwent significant reshoots. These alterations in the film make the differences, particularly in the portrayal of its villain, even more apparent.

It’s clear that the filmmakers had a different focus when they decided to put Hulk against Ross instead of Cap in the final battle. This left Sam Wilson with less opportunity to showcase his abilities and be the hero we know him to be from the Captain America movies. It seems counterintuitive to make a Captain America movie where he doesn’t get to defeat the main antagonist. However, this unconventional approach led to a more intriguing battle sequence, as Sam utilized his intelligence, counseling skills, and Wakandan technology in his wingsuit to wear down Red Hulk, eventually causing Ross to transform back into his normal self.

Despite the fact that Edward Norton portrayed Bruce Banner in “The Incredible Hulk” from 2008, it’s essential for Mark Ruffalo, who took over the role in “The Avengers,” to appear in a project focusing on these characters. We glimpsed this in “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” when Bruce had a brief fight with Emil Blonsky, The Abomination, but it’s not enough. I want to see Bruce reconnect with Betty, discover the fate of Sterns, and either make peace with Thunderbolt Ross or engage in combat with him as the Red Hulk.

The much-talked-about “World War Hulk” film could serve as an ideal setting for these events to unfold; let’s hope this project is officially greenlit in the upcoming Marvel cinematic universe lineup. At present, “Captain America: Brave New World” is gracing the big screen, and you can refresh your memory of both Sam Wilson and Bruce Banner’s past MCU performances using your Disney+ streaming service.

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2025-02-27 07:38