Much digital ink has been spilled over Avengers: Infinity War and the ways in which Marvel’s comic book mash-up draws inspiration from Jim Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet comic. And while that may well be the case, the film also borrowed elements from a series of other Marvel Comics – The Incredible Hulk #241 included.
Over on Reddit (h/t Heroic Hollywood), one eagle-eyed user has posted an Infinity War screenshot to prove that, yes, the image of Bruce Banner struggling to evoke his raging alter-ego has its roots in comics – specifically the 1979 one penned by Al Milgrom. It seems half a Hulk is better than none, after all…
See for yourself:
So, there you have it; Al Milgrom’s comic was among the many Easter eggs scattered across Avengers: Infinity War and its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, and it’s only now that Marvel’s star-studded epic is available on Blu-ray and DVD that fans are beginning to weed out even the most hidden references and cute Easter eggs – no matter how subtle or obscure.
As for the Hulk, well, he’s expected to enjoy a much more prominent arc during Avengers 4 – ditto for Captain America and Black Widow – though we understand Joe and Anthony Russo wanted to rein the focus in to Bruce Banner for Infinity War, who’s spent far too long relying on the Hulk to bail him out of sticky situations. The result? Marvel’s Jade Giant is officially on strike.
Let’s just hope they’re both singing from the same hymn sheet by the time Avengers 4 rolls around, as the remnants of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes muster some form of resurgence against the invading Thanos. Their date with destiny arrives on May 3rd, 2019.