Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, but the new post-credits scene from Avengers: Endgame Encore confirms a pattern that has followed the Hulk through nearly every phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Doctor Doom has come to collect Bruce Banner, and once again, the Hulk is being used as a weapon by a powerful villain. This is not a new idea. It is the fifth time the MCU has returned to the same well.
The Endgame Encore Scene That Started It All
The re-release of Avengers: Endgame in theaters on September 25, 2026, came with new post-credits scenes designed to connect the 2019 film to Avengers: Doomsday. One of those scenes shows Bruce Banner locked in an underground bunker, testing a new gamma suppression system. He is trying to regain control over the Hulk after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where he lost control and became the Savage Hulk again.
The lights flicker. Doctor Doom appears. He says only one line: “I’ve come to collect you.” Both men vanish, leaving behind a glowing green rune. The scene makes one thing clear. Doom wants Banner, and he likely wants to use the Hulk for his own plans.
A Pattern That Has Followed The Hulk Since 2012
The Hulk being manipulated or used as a destructive tool is not a new story in the MCU. It has happened multiple times, and each time, the character ends up in a similar place.
- The Avengers (2012): Loki uses his scepter to manipulate Bruce Banner on the Helicarrier, causing him to transform and nearly destroy the flying base.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): Wanda Maximoff uses her mind powers on the Hulk, sending him on a rampage through Johannesburg until Tony Stark stops him with the Hulkbuster armor.
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017): Hulk refuses to revert to Banner for years, staying in his Savage form on Sakaar and fighting Thor in the Grandmaster’s arena.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026): Jean Grey manipulates Banner into removing his gamma inhibitor, unleashing the Savage Hulk for the first time since Avengers: Infinity War.
Each time, the Hulk is not the one in control. Someone else is pulling the strings, and the result is always destruction.
Doctor Doom Fits The Same Role As Loki, Wanda, And Jean Grey
The new scene in Avengers: Endgame Encore places Doctor Doom in the same position as the villains who came before him. He is not asking Banner for help. He is collecting him. The word “collect” suggests ownership and control.
There are two possible reasons Doom wants Banner. He may want Banner’s intellect to help solve the multiverse crisis. Or he may want the Hulk’s strength as a weapon. The fact that Banner transforms back into the Hulk as he is taken suggests Doom is interested in both.
The MCU has already set up Doom as a character who builds teams for his own purposes. The Endgame Encore scene also shows the TVA reacting to thousands of incursions and universes colliding. Doom appears to be recruiting allies, and the Hulk is one of them.
Why The Hulk Keeps Falling Into The Same Trap
Bruce Banner’s story in the MCU has always been about a man who cannot control the monster inside him. The Hulk represents rage, trauma, and the fear of losing control. Every time Banner thinks he has found a solution, the story finds a way to take it away.
In Avengers: Endgame, Banner seemed to solve the problem by becoming Smart Hulk. He merged his two identities into one. But She-Hulk: Attorney at Law showed that his inhibitor was damaged, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day revealed that the Savage Hulk was still inside him, waiting to break free.
The Hulk’s MCU story has been defined by flashes of trauma and an ongoing battle for supremacy between Banner’s logical side and the Hulk’s rage-filled alter. Avengers: Doomsday is not creating a new story. It is repeating the same one.
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What This Means For Avengers: Doomsday
The Hulk’s role in Avengers: Doomsday is still not fully confirmed. Mark Ruffalo previously denied that he was in the film, but the Endgame Encore scene has changed that. The film is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, with an earlier UK release on December 16. The film will be available in theaters worldwide, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India.
If the Hulk is working with Doctor Doom, he will likely serve as an antagonist in some form. This would set up Avengers: Secret Wars, which is scheduled for December 17, 2027. A Hulk who has been used and manipulated by Doom could become a major threat in the next Avengers film.
Fans hoping to see a new direction for the Hulk may be disappointed. The MCU has returned to the same story five times now. Until the character is given a solo film or a completely new arc, the pattern is likely to continue.
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Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on Avengers: Doomsday, the Hulk’s MCU future, and everything happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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