It was previously announced that Mark Ruffalo will reprise his role as Bruce Banner in She-Hulk, alongside Tim Roth’s Abomination.  Last but not least, the latter character made a cameo appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, when he battled Wong of any and all protagonists.

If you’ve watched the movie, you know that Abomination wasn’t the only surprise guest. There were many more examples. Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) appear in Shang-Chi’s first post-credit scene when they discuss the Ten Rings and their origins with Shang-Chi.

The most shocking part of the post-credits sequence was the appearance of the diminutive Banner once again. As far as the public was concerned, the change of Banner into the “Smart Hulk” in Avengers: Endgame was meant to be permanent. Which begs the question: How has Banner reverted back to his former self? The strange wristband that’s attached to Banner’s left arm in the post-credits sequence may have an explanation.

The Answer Can Be Found in the Armband

A strange piece of gear that we see Banner sporting is an armband on his left arm in the stinger. If you look closely, you’ll see a tiny flashing green screen on top of it. He never appeared in Avengers: Endgame wearing anything like that before. On its own, it seems to be little more than a gizmo for one of the world’s most brilliant minds.

Banner’s rapid shrinkage and his comic-book expertise, on the other hand, maybe precisely what’s enabled him to shrink back down to his former size. At one time, Bruce Banner ceased to be the Hulk because his Gamma radiation was transferred to someone else. Amadeus Cho, a young prodigy from the Marvel Universe whose mother featured in the film Avengers: Age of Ultron, was that someone else.

The never-seen-before armband

The armband on Banner’s left arm, which he was shown wearing in the stinger, was a strange choice of accessory. It even has a tiny glowing green screen on it, which can be seen upon close inspection. In his earlier appearance in Avengers: Endgame, he never wore anything close to what he is wearing now.

The armband on Banner’s left arm, which he was shown wearing in the stinger, was a strange choice of accessory. It even has a tiny glowing green screen on it, which can be seen upon close inspection.  In his earlier appearance in Avengers: Endgame, he never wore anything close to what he is wearing now.

When looked at alone, it seems to be nothing more than a scientific gadget for one of the world’s most intelligent individuals. However, when combined with Banner’s abrupt decrease in size as well as his comic book expertise, it is possible that this is precisely what has enabled him to revert to his smaller height in the first place.

What do the comic books say?

According to the comics, Bruce Banner really ceased being the Hulk at one time owing to the fact that all of his Gamma radiation was transferred to another character. It was Amadeus Cho’s mother, who debuted in Avengers: Age of Ultron, who was that “someone else”.

In order to prevent Banner from absorbing too much radiation, Cho siphons Banner’s gamma inside himself. In doing so he immediately transforms himself into the new Hulk. Cho utilized Sternbots, which are nanobots based on technology developed by Samuel Sterns, also known as the Leader. Brawn was able to change the composition of his cells in order to retain and utilize Banner’s gamma radiation.

Cho could manually manage his transformation further into Hulk. This can be done by strapping a gadget to his arm, similar to the one Banner uses in the post-credits scene. These Sternbots let Cho control his transformation directly. Another issue that will likely be addressed in She-Hulk is whether or not this will eventually wind up being the reason for Banner’s actions.

Will this be the end for The Incredible Hulk?

Banner’s reappearance in She-Hulk has already been teased by the fact that Mark Ruffalo will be wearing his motion-capture outfit once again. In addition, it was revealed that Abomination will be making a comeback. And that he’ll be returning in his gigantic form for the foreseeable future.

To have She-Hulk, the Hulk, and the Abomination onscreen at the same time would be costly. Bruce might have kept experimenting on himself until he discovered a method to return to his natural self. This as well as, while simultaneously accumulating money for Jennifer Walter.  Although Cho devised the gadget, there aren’t any stories or speculations suggesting he’s been cast.