Avengers: Endgame had the Hulk putting on a new Infinity Gauntlet to bring back everyone that was ‘dusted' and the film ended with his arm in a sling. While some think that this will just be a minor setback for the Hulk, it's revealed that the damage to him is actually permanent.
Talking to ComicBook, Joe Russo confirms:
"He's lost an arm… He lost Natasha. That's not coming back. He's damaged himself. I don't know. It's interesting. That's permanent damage, the same way that it was permanent damage with Thanos. It's irreversible damage. His arm, if you noticed, is a lot skinnier. It's blackened. So, he loses a lot of strength there."
Surely this is kind of tragic for Banner, seeing that he's finally made peace with being the Hulk, but I guess it will be a reminder of the sacrifices that were made when it comes to saving the world from Thanos.
Russo, however, is positive that the MCU can still find a workaround for this. He continues:
"But who knows? There's a lot of smart people left… Maybe someone helps him repair that. Maybe someone gives him a new arm. I have no idea where that character goes from here. The nice thing is we didn't have to pay attention to where it goes after this, we just try to tell a satisfying ending."
While some assume that Endgame was the last we've seen of Hulk, I guess this is a silver lining, and we can actually expect more of him in the future. We don't really know where he'll pop up, but if the MCU is ever going to make another Avengers movie with a whole new roster, I would love for the Hulk to make an appearance and be the one to pass the torch.
Or maybe he could just hang around the Avengers facility doing science things. Who knows?
Catch Professor Hulk in Avengers: Endgame now in theaters.
See Also: Spider-Man: Far From Home Could Be Setting Up Major Phase 4 Stories Including Captain Marvel's