Thor: Ragnarok –
While all the heroes are out for blood after losing so many of their comrades in battle, no one is as blood-thirsty as the Hulk right now. After being utterly humiliated in a one on one battle with Thanos, the Hulk is surely looking for a rematch. After all, he is still one of the strongest and the most dangerous Avenger since the upper limits of his strength are still not known. And that is why Thanos sent the Hulk into space after Age of Ultron and trapped him in Sakaar, says this fan theory. Presenting – Fan Theory says Thanos was the one who sent the Hulk to Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok!
We know you guys must be thinking, why is this even a topic of discussion? Thanos defeated the Hulk in a direct brawl, fair and square. There is no reason for the Mad Titan to be scared of the Hulk. The Hulk failed to come back after realizing how powerless he was against the Purple Megalomaniac. Why would Thanos even consider sending the Hulk to space if he was going to win anyway? It does not make any sense at all! Or does it? Remember the Hulk is just one side of the coin. Bruce Banner is as much an Avenger as the Hulk is. While the Hulk relies on his strength, Bruce Banner is one of the firmest believers in Mind over matter.
Thanos was not scared of the punches from the Hulk but he was damn scared of the brilliant mind of his other half, who is considered one of the smartest minds on Earth. That is why he decided to purge him out of the equation by sending the Hulk to Sakaar, where Bruce Banner will not be a problem to his plans anymore.
The theory has one flaw that many would try to pint out – Bruce Banner was not the only smartass of Earth. Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Shuri are all way smarter than him. So why would Thanos single out Bruce Banner over them? And we have an answer to that question as well. Remember Tony was a control freak and super paranoid all the way. Probably still is! He is willing to let go of all risks, gamble everything and cross personal boundaries if it means stopping the bad guy. He has done it so many times in the movies. Hank Pym is smart but he was never as involved as the others. Shuri is still a kid and even though she is the smartest mind on Earth, has a lot to learn.
Bruce Banner, on the other hand, has a lot to put on the table. He is smart, no doubt, but is also cautious. He not only questions the other’s actions and tries to quantify their every step but also his own. Ever since day one, he has been trying to understand the beast inside him, trying to control it and come to terms with it. Even though he was found to be ultimately unsuccessful in taming the Hulk, he had still come painfully close to doing it Age of Ultron. The Hulk was now a team-player and knew how to work along with others. Bruce Banner had almost figured him out. He was almost on the verge of becoming one with the Hulk persona.
In the comics, when the Hulk and Bruce Banner joined forces, an entity called Professor Hulk was born. Professor Hulk had the strengths of both the Hulk and Bruce banner personas and none of their flaws. He was as strong and durable as the Hulk and as analytical and smart as Bruce Banner. In the movies, Bruce Banner would probably have become Professor Hulk, a force to be reckoned with in the MCU. If this was allowed to happen, it would probably have created major disruptions in Thanos’ plans.
Professor Hulk is a superhero with powers similar to Thanos. Like Thanos, he is almost un-killable, has godlike strength and durability and is governed by the principle of ‘Mind over Matter’. Moreover, Professor Hulk is way smarter than Thanos and he would have probably figured out a way to kill Thanos before Thanos could have fathomed a way to kill him.
And that is why the Hulk ended up in Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok! It was Thanos’ doing. He was scared of the Hulk. Will Endgame finally help Bruce Banner become what he was destined to be before Thanos meddled in his fate?
