Of all the amazing things set to be a part of next year's
Age of Ultron, perhaps the most exciting has been the announcement of a Hulk vs. Iron Man showdown, which will include Tony Stark's Hulkbuster suit. The question is raised, what would be the outcome of an event like that? What causes the two "Science Bros" to go head to head in the first place? Or, perhaps the most intriguing, who would win?
Let's begin by examining the character of Bruce Banner.
Above is an interesting set of gifs that play out a deleted scene from 2012's The Avengers. In them, he basically admits that he is uncertain about who is truly ruling the body that him and the Other Guy share. While being "always angry" allows him to keep Hulk on a leash, if put under enough stress (ala the incident on the Helicarrier), that leash will break. It's important to note that Hulk probably wants to keep Banner at a distance as well, as "Hulk is afraid of Banner as Banner is afraid of Hulk."
As we all know, the leash will indeed be broken at some point during this movie, when Stark and Banner become at odds with one another. But what leads to this happening? Many people have pointed towards Loki's mind-controlling scepter--last seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier's post-credit sequence--which is now in Hydra's possession:
This premise would involve someone like Baron von Strucker making him Hulk out under the scepter's influence. Perhaps even Ultron himself gets a hold of the scepter and uses it's power on the Hulk. Another theory, raised by someone on this website a few months ago, is that is actually the illusions of Wanda Maximoff herself that causes Hulk to attack Stark. The theory in question proposed that Hulk would think he's attacking one of the giant flying creatures that appeared in New York with the Chitauri.
While both of these theories are interesting, I disagree with them both, as they don't add up with some of the actors' quotes about what this ground-breaking fight is over. Take Robert Downey Jr.'s quote, for instance:
"It can't just be a good fight, it's gotta be about something. And the great thing in 'Age of Ultron' is, that fight between [the Hulk and Tony Stark] is, nobody wins when two people who are friends fight."
Think back to the first Avengers movie, when Black Widow and Hawkeye got into a cat-fight while Hawkeye was under Loki's control. There was no baggage between the two heroes once Clint was back into his right state of mind. It was a little tense at first, but that was just because of the circumstances. After the fight, they were back to being best friends. Therefore, thematically speaking, it wouldn't make sense for there to be baggage between Stark and Banner after the fight, as the above quote seems to imply. Also, if Banner was under the scepter's influence, or under Wanda's influence, the fight wouldn't really be "about something." The stakes wouldn't be as high.
So that leaves us scratching our heads, wondering what it could be possibly be over. I've been pondering this question for months, and it wasn't until the last couple of weeks that I've come up with an answer. If you're looking for who is the beginning factor of the fight, look no further than the movie's villain, Ultron.
When asked why Thor should be afraid of Ultron, actor Chris Hemsworth had this to say:
"Look, he’s physically strong, this villain, but also highly intelligent. He is artificial intelligence and has access to every piece of information that is and ever was, so he’s able to manipulate all sorts of things – including the dynamic of the team – and split us up."
I believe next year's Age of Ultron will see Joss Whedon taking a note from a current Marvel storyline, titled Original Sin. Now, Original Sin was published after AOU finished filming, but writing takes place long before it is published, so there's no reason to think Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics couldn't have coordinated something special for us together.
Minor spoilers for Original Sin follow.
In Issue 3.1 of Original Sin, circumstances reveal that Tony Stark had a hand in Banner's accident that created the Hulk. Stark had repressed the memory and at first didn't even believe it could be true. Obviously, the MCU is only a few years old, so it wouldn't make much sense for Stark to have forgotten about it. But couldn't he have come to terms with it, thinking that the Hulk is more good than it is bad?
Think back to the beginning of The Incredible Hulk, when a flashback sequence reveals the first time Hulk ever surfaced. General Ross was there, and that movie's ending made it clear that Stark and Ross know each other. If my theory is correct, Stark was involved in the project, and the biggest secret of that entire project is it was Stark's interference that led to the Hulk's immergence. This would bring all kinds of new weight to the scene from The Avengers where Stark told Banner that Hulk saved his life. He actually believes he helped Banner!
My theory is that Ultron, who has access to information infinite, reveals to the Avengers this pretty piece of information. Bruce Banner, astounded that his fellow brother in science not only did this to him but also kept it a secret, Hulks out. He's angrier than we've ever seen him. This would definitely cause a fight, bring an enormous amount of tension and drive a wedge between the Science Bros. Now, as for who wins this fight? I have an idea about that one, too.
When asked if there was redemption for a Hulk that completely loses control, Mark Ruffalo said this:
“Uhhh… if you ask Banner I feel like he would tell you ‘no.’ There’s only so far that he could ever go before he feels like there’s no coming back and we might have crossed that threshold this time (laughs)."
Ruffalo also says that it's the absolute maddest we've ever seen Hulk, and that it's the "Hulk Hulking out." Now, I don't have evidence to back this up, so I'm completely guessing here, but it would make sense for Hulk to go so ballistic that he actually winds up almost killing Stark, putting him in a coma. Banner is already the type of person who doesn't want to hurt anybody. He made it a point to help and heal people in Calcutta, as we saw at the beginning of the first film. If Banner put someone who is essentially his best friend in a coma, how would that make him feel? Hurting anybody would be terrible, but Stark? It would definitely feel like he had crossed the line, past the point of forgiveness.
Not only do I think this could help Banner's character development, but it also could help the overall story of both the second and third Avengers films. Let's recap everything Stark will be up to in this movie. We know he more or less creates Ultron as a 'replacement' for the Avengers. As Ultron's daddy issues are a HUGE part of his character in the comics, I can't imagine Whedon not including that in the film. We know he created an Iron Legion to back Ultron up as well. His AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., will be becoming his own hero (in some form or fashion) as the Vision. His best friend and sidekick James Rhodes will be making an appearance as well.
I'm calling it right now, people will say this is a Stark-centric movie. I have full faith in Whedon's storytelling capabilities, I'm just saying he needs to make sure all of the Avengers--as well as the supporting characters--get plenty of development. Putting Stark in a coma--probably towards the beginning of the third act--would help this movie for three reasons.
First, it would give the rest of the Avengers a chance to shine. Captain America could take over and lead the team, and the film would focus on their character dynamics without having to worry about Stark--or RDJ, really--out-shining them. Second, it would also explain Iron Man's absence in Phase 3. In my opinion, I just don't see another Iron Man movie being in the Phase 3 line-up, nor do I think it's needed. And third, it would bring a greater sense of connectivity to the films once Stark wakes up in Avengers 3, with the murderous Ultron and raging Hulk being the last thing he remembers.
Well, there's my brilliant theory. Is it completely crazy, or could I be onto something? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!
P.S.--I think that rumor about Ultron sending Hulk into space makes sense for this movie. Ultron's mission is to bring about humanity's extinction on Planet Earth. Seeing how none of the other Avengers have been able to take Hulk down, he realizes he can't kill the Hulk, and decides the best decision is to send Hulk away. This would go in line with what Banner said in the first film, "In case you needed to kill me, but you can't, I know, I tried!" What makes an equal amount of sense is Banner sending himself into space, not wanting to ever hurt anyone ever again.
Another cool scene I would like to see is Ultron threatening Thor. I remember in some interview, which I haven't been able to find, Chris Hemsworth said Thor thinks about what Ultron could mean for the other eight realms. Since Ultron has all the information there ever was, he reasons with himself that the other eight realms have the same problems that Earth does. I'd like to see something where Ultron, for the moment, has the upper hand on Thor, and he tells him that once he's eradicated all human life on Earth, he's coming for Asgard. Maybe it's just the inner fanboy in me, but I think it'd be pretty badass.