Shang-Chi VFX Team Hints at Where Bruce Banner Is During Credits Scene

Weta VFX, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ VFX team, hints at where Bruce Banner is during the film’s post-credits scene. Although it primarily had a contained narrative, the Destin Cretton still needed to establish its connection to the bigger MCU. This was primarily achieved with the appearances of familiar faces, including Mark Ruffalo’s Banner, who looked significantly different compared to the last time he was on screen.

After his humiliating defeat from his one-on-one fight with Thanos (Josh Brolin) at the start of Avengers: Infinity War, the Hulk refused to come out for the rest of the film. So five years after the snap in Avengers: Endgame, fans were surprised to see Smart Hulk — a version of the character who is physically capable as the green-rage monster but with Banner’s consciousness. The film didn’t delve into the process of achieving the hybrid persona, but it did seem like a permanent state for the hero. But when he appeared during Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings‘ post-credits scene, he’s back in his human form.

This posed several questions for viewers as Wong (Benedict Wong) officially brings in Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Katy (Akwafina) into the Avengers’ world with a meeting with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Banner. While the first three were seemingly all together in the Sanctum Sanctorum, the latter two joined them via hologram, the same ones the Avengers used in Avengers: Endgame. While speaking with Variety, Weta VFX supervisor Sean Walker broke down the process of creating the scene, revealing how they achieved it. Apparently, Carol Danvers’ suit was all CGI, but more interestingly, Banner was in his laboratory during the discussion.

Since Avengers: Endgame didn’t go into detail about how exactly Banner was able to meld his two different personas to come up with Smart Hulk, it remains a mystery going into MCU Phase 4. And the appearance of Banner in the Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings only made things more complicated as it didn’t seem like Banner could easily go back-and-forth in regard to his form. Chances are that this is something that the upcoming Marvel Studios’ Disney+ series, She-Hulk will shed light on. Walker’s revelation about Banner being in his laboratory is supported by the first official look at the show where he and his cousin, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), can be seen in his own facility.

Assuming that Hulk is indeed operating in his own laboratory, it suggests that the surviving heroes are mostly scattered, doing their own thing. Banner could’ve easily taken over the Avengers facility upstate (if it’s been repaired already) and man it the way Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) did on the heels of Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War. But him relying on his own resources means that there’s no system in place for the new generation of Avengers.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available to stream on Disney+.