Although Banner briefly explained in Avengers: Endgame that he managed to "put the brains and the brawn together," he does not detail how he completed the process. The Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest television series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, touches on this briefly, with Banner explaining that it took him 15 years in total to finally achieve his Smart Hulk form and was able to revert back to his human form with a blood regulator that kept his radiation minimal. With this brief mention, audiences have been left wondering where Ruffalo's Hulk was in the gap between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and the star himself has his own thoughts on the matter.

Related: Everything That Happened To Hulk During The Blip

In a recent interview with EW for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Ruffalo actor shared his interest in exploring how Banner managed to fuse the character's sentience with that of the Hulk to create the Smart Hulk in the five years between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Ruffalo seemingly wants to tell a "standalone story" focused solely on that crucial period in Banner's life, believing that "there's a lot more to say about it." Read more of what the actor had to say below.

I think this is a good entry into that time period, that [five] years between Infinity War and what happened in Endgame — there's a gap where we don't know what happened to him and all of a sudden he's a professor, and he is no longer Banner after he couldn't turn into the Hulk. I love how we start to open up that world, but I think there's almost a standalone story to be told for just those two years. How did we go from a Banner who couldn't turn into the Hulk anymore to all of a sudden this fully integrated version? This is a really nice way to introduce that story, but I also feel like it doesn't satisfy exactly what happened in that time period. I think there's a lot more to say about it.

Ruffalo understands that the Blip holds story potential regarding Banner's important transformation into the Smart Hulk, however, how such a dramatic process is remains to be seen. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1 touched on part of the techniques Banner used to calm himself and learn to control his rage, namely Dialectical Behavior Therapy, a type of meditation exercise. Likely Banner used a metaphysical procedure such as this to assist in his evolution into Smart Hulk, which some may not feel to be cinematic enough for a standalone story.

However, if Banner's journey is framed using an external antagonistic force during The Blip, then it is possible for a Smart Hulk transformation standalone story to take place between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Using an enemy that symbolizes Hulk's rage, possibly someone from his past, can help structure the story in a way to externalize his transformation while maintaining the bombastic aesthetic the franchise known for. However, with Banner aboard the Sakaarian spaceship in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 2, a standalone Hulk story may look to the future of the MCU rather than the past.

Source: EW