If you’ve seen the latest trailer for Thor: Ragnarok , you’ll most likely have noticed that the Incredible Hulk has become surprisingly eloquent since the last time we saw him in Avengers: Age of Ultron . At the end of this action-packed trailer, we see the Hulk in conversation with Thor and learn that the enormous Avenger has significantly expanded his vocabulary and is now capable of producing coherent, albeit rudimentary, sentences. Mark Ruffalo, who has portrayed Bruce Banner and his big green alter ego in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2012’s The Avengers , has now revealed that the Hulk has been refusing to turn back into his human form and, as a result of this, has learned how to speak.
Speaking at the panel for Thor: Ragnarok at the San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, Ruffalo said that the Hulk has been enjoying life on Sakaar and therefore was unwilling to let Banner take control again.
“Hulk refuses to turn back to Banner, and he’s actually enjoying his time on Sakaar. He’s enjoying his life for once, and he’ll be damned if he’s going back to Banner.”
Sakaar is, of course, the planet on which Thor and the Hulk will battle it out in gladiatorial fashion, as seen in the trailer. Furthermore, comic book enthusiasts will know that Sakaar is the world on which the Hulk was exiled to in the hugely popular Marvel Comics story arc “Planet Hulk.” The Hulk’s storyline in Thor: Ragnarok will be loosely based on said story arc.
What’s more, Ruffalo revealed that the Hulk has been in his monster form for two long years , according to Polygon . As such, it would only make sense that the Hulk would’ve somehow learned to communicate during this time.
“He’s a little perma-hulked. And because he’s been Hulk for two years he has the vocab of a two-year-old. We have a speaking Hulk.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time MCU fans will see the Hulk speak on the big screen. In the superhero’s first and only stand-alone film within the MCU to date, namely 2008’s The Incredible Hulk , which starred Edward Norton in the titular role, the Hulk actually uttered the iconic words “Hulk Smash” while fighting against the film’s main antagonist Abomination. In The Avengers , the Hulk also spoke when he called Tom Hiddleston’s Loki a “puny god” after tossing the Asgardian God of Mischief around like a doll.
Regardless, the Hulk was never shown to be capable of holding a real conversation. Hopefully, his newfound speaking capabilities will allow for an interesting character development, especially in future Marvel films. Now that the Hulk can express himself, many Marvel fans will definitely be looking forward to getting an insight into the mind of the monstrous green superhero. At some point in Thor: Ragnarok , the Hulk will, however, revert to his human form, as revealed in the beginning of the latest trailer.
Interestingly, Bruce Banner does not seem to have any recollection of what transpired while he was in his Hulk-form. When Thor told his friend that the pair has had “a fight recently,” Banner naively asked whether he won, indicating that he does not have access to his alter ego’s memories. It will be interesting to see how the Hulk eventually ends up reverting to his human form.
You can rewatch the epic trailer for Thor: Ragnarok , which hits theaters on November 3, below.
[Featured Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]
