WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, now in theaters.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proved that Marvel Studios still knows how to offer compelling stories with new environments and characters. But no matter how stand-alone the film feels, connections to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe must be made. The film’s mid-credits scene finds a clever way to fully integrate Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) into the MCU, with him sharing a room with Wong (Benedict Wong), Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). The heroes decipher the origin of the Ten Rings before Banner welcomes Shang-Chi to the “circus.” However, outside of being the reappearance of a fan-favorite character, this scene also confirms that Banner and the Hulk are once again separated, which could spell disaster for the MCU.
In the comics, the Hulk has always viewed Banner as a weakness and tries his best to take control, while Banner aims to get rid of the Hulk. The two personalities have always been at odds, and more often than not, their animosity ends in disaster. In the films, Banner and the Hulk had worked out an agreement to meld the brain and brawn into a “Smart Hulk.” However, after snapping half of the universe back and damaging his arm, he was never at full strength. Even in the mid-credits scene, Banner is still in a sling. But if Hulk is now separated from Banner, the beast could just be biding his time, trying to take over out of frustration for being weakened.
Scenarios like this have proved disastrous in the comics. In one reality, the Hulk exists without Banner’s moral center, turning him into a super-strong mad genius known as the Maestro. This version of the Hulk has defeated all of the Avengers and rules over a nuclear wasteland that enhances his strength but drives him insane. Banner and the Hulk could also be separated both physically and mentally. For instance, in the comics, Bruce suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, giving him multiple Hulk personalities. The Immortal Hulk is a comic series that explores this and even takes Banner out of the picture, leaving the other personalities to pick up the pieces. If that ends up being the case in the MCU, it could be possible the Hulk from the previous films is gone and whatever emerges from Banner’s psyche is even more dangerous.
An example of a dangerous personality can be seen in The Incredible Hulk’s “Stay Angry” arc. In the story, Banner is more of an evil mad scientist and switches the roles of the two characters. Now, the Hulk must literally stay angry to keep Banner from taking over and continuing his plans. If this comes to fruition in the MCU, the Banner who appears in Shang-Chi may not be the one fans know, but something more malicious.
Another possibility is that Banner and the Hulk haven’t spoken since his injury, and the next time he changes could lead to a destructive rampage with a Hulk that has lost all control. With Banner and the Hulk separated again, the fuse appears to have been lit in the MCU. And depending on the cause for his regression, Banner and his closest friends may be at risk for an even more powerful beast to contend with.
Check out the return of an original Avengers in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters now.
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