She-Hulk reminds us that Bruce Banner and Tony Stark were actually friends

Among the many major revelations in the first episode from She-Hulk: Lawyer comes the revelation that while Bruce Banner was chilling in Mexico after Blip to find himself and unite his two enemy halves, he built an outdoor bar with Tony Stark. Her initials are carved into the wood to commemorate their time together. It’s a small detail in a larger conversation, but it’s a small nod to a friendship that was once a huge part of Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom — and got a little lost in the process.

Once upon a time, MCU fans dreamed of a world where the Avengers would hang out and like each other. novel, right? But back in 2012, right after the first Avengers movie, the idea of ​​all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes coming together and living in a tower like chilling roommates was incredibly popular. The gang played video games together. Clint lived in the ventilation shafts for some reason. Thor was obsessed with pop tarts. It was a simpler time.

Image: Marvel Studios

One of the big hallmarks of this era was “Science Bros” — as fans dubbed Tony Stark and Bruce Banner’s relationship. Sometimes this was romantic (although this is usually referred to as “science boyfriends” or “science husbands”). But sometimes it was just the platonic relationship between the two smartest Avengers when they poked fun at technology or joked about scientific experiments. The friendship began in the first Avengers film, when the two bonded over the more technical aspects of thwarting Loki’s villainous plan – and solidified when Tony wasn’t tiptoeing around Bruce, who at the time still hadn’t shown his Hulk side could control. It was one of the clearest friendships of that early Avengers era (alongside Clint and Natasha, my dears <3), and the whole framing of Iron Man 3 ended up as Tony telling Bruce a story. It was even that iconic Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo confirmed it and played along.

Unfortunately, the later MCU films pushed this fan-favorite relationship aside. Not necessarily because the two characters were no longer friends, but because the MCU morphed into a juggernaut of a million moving parts and characters that had to be strategically placed like chess pieces to initiate the next plot point. That was all well and good for those looking forward to the newest big bad villain on the horizon. But for fans who enjoyed the unexpected friendships between these unlikely heroes – who wanted a full scene of the post-Battle of New York shawarma luncheon – the MCU was beginning to feel lacking. The heroes barely got along, and even when films focused on the more emotional aspects of being a superhero, the next one came along and completely undermined what was happening.

Image: Marvel Studios

Clint happened to get a family in the second Avengers movie, and Natasha had a crush on Bruce completely out of the blue (at least She Hulk acknowledged how weird this bit was). Tony Stark abandoned the suit after that Iron Man 3, and then immediately picked it up again for a few more films. And perhaps most frustrating after you’ve spent it all Captain America: The Winter Soldier Searching for his best friend Bucky Barnes and then breaking international law, Steve Rogers decided to go back in time and live an entire life without Bucky, despite consciously knowing that Bucky while he was in that timeline had a family to live with Raised Peggy was tortured by Soviet agents. Fans realized the MCU would never care group of friends being there for eachother.

in a postendgame MCU, Future Science Bros Bond Cannot Happen Because Tony Stark Is Dead But this little acknowledgment is some, a little reminder that the Avengers once hit it off and actually liked each other on screen. And apparently they still got along and liked each other, but in the background and off-screen, they told us years after some of them died. Perhaps with more breathing room on Disney Plus, we’ll finally see more of that emotional connection that fans have grown accustomed to in the first place. Or perhaps those moments are also referenced in hindsight, in carved initials on a wooden pole and a memory of a happier time shared.