Endgame: Hulk vs Thanos – The Rematch Heard Around the Galaxy

The Marvel Cinematic Universe reached its highest of high points a little over five years ago when “Avengers: Endgame” hit theaters. It successfully concluded more than a decade’s worth of interconnected cinematic storytelling, which still feels like a dizzying feat in retrospect, given all of the moving pieces on the board. As one might imagine, there were many ideas thrown around before settling on the film as it exists. One such idea was to have a rematch between Thanos and Hulk. Thanks to some newly-revealed concept art, we know what that fight might have looked like.

ComicBook.com recently revealed the images as part of a preview for “Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding,” which is available now from Amazon. Serving as Marvel Studios’ Head of Visual Development, Meinerding is responsible for the earliest versions of what we see on screen in these movies. In the book, there are more than 500 illustrations, including concept art for stuff that never came to pass. As part of that, we see Hulk decking Thanos, getting revenge for that fight at the beginning of “Infinity War.”

Official concept art keyframes for AVENGERS: ENDGAME’s Battle of Earth:

(via ‘Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding’ from @ComicBook) pic.twitter.com/U5f5y7gafQ

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) September 30, 2024

The art reveals several scenes that didn’t make the cut as part of the epic final battle in “Avengers: Endgame,” and it also showcases different looks at scenes we got versions of, such as Captain America’s now-legendary “Avengers, assemble” moment. Ultimately, directors Joe and Anthony Russo decided against this Hulk v. Thanos rematch, for whatever reason. Was that the right decision? That’s largely up for the individual to decide. At the very least, it’s easy to see that hard decisions had to be made so that the final battle didn’t feel overstuffed.

One thing that cannot be argued against is the result as it exists. “Avengers: Endgame” made nearly $2.8 billion at the global box office, becoming, for a brief moment, the biggest movie in cinema history. It was later dethroned by James Cameron’s “Avatar,” which re-claimed the crown thanks to a re-release. That is neither here nor there, because Disney and Marvel Studios made a movie that resonated greatly with its intended audience. Might that Hulk moment with Thanos been crowd-pleasing? For sure. But it’s not as though this movie is devoid of crowd-pleasing moments.

This is just part of how Marvel movies come together. Lots of ideas are thrown at the wall, and the creative team sees what sticks. Among the many other ideas proposed for “Endgame,” there was a version where Doctor Strange was going to wear Iron Man’s suit. Many of the superhero suits for the various heroes in the film went through different design proposals too. It’s an ever-evolving beast that sometimes takes much longer to figure out, sometimes coming down to the wire. Much of that flows through the mind of Meinerding. For those who might be interested, here is an official description of the new book:

Marvel Studios’ Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding has been a key creative force in designing the look of the beloved Super Heroes and villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the early stages of “Iron Man” (2008). “Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding” showcases the artist’s singular and iconic vision, from his work-in-progress sketches to his finished illustrations.

“Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding” is available now.