In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1, Marvel admits that fans prefer the classic, angry Hulk over the MCU's Smart Hulk. After everything he's been through, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner finally enjoys a peaceful retirement in his Smart Hulk body. This happens to be helpful for his cousin, Jennifer Walters, who needs mentoring through the hardships of being a Hulk herself. However, Bruce Banner's struggle is never truly over, and Marvel Studios knows it.

Bruce Banner has struggled with his Gamma-powered alter ego ever since Hulk's comic book introduction in May 1962. Throughout the years, Banner has gotten rid of Hulk with a variety of futuristic devices, magic, meditation, and even time travel, and yet, the Angry Hulk always finds a way to come back. A relatively effective solution is to merge his two identities in the form of Professor Hulk a.k.a. Smart Hulk, but this method is only temporary. The regular, angry Hulk is simply more powerful and more popular than Smart Hulk, even in the MCU.

Related: We're So Close To Getting "Hulk Smash" Again In The MCU

In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1, Smart Hulk explains part of the problem of being a Hulk to Jennifer Walters: "When people start seeing you as a monster, it never goes away”. This line perfectly encapsulates Bruce Banner's conflict with his alter ego, as well as the consequences of disasters like Hulk's fight with Abomination in The Incredible Hulk and Hulk's fight with Iron Man's Hulkbuster in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It also reflects how the audience tends to see Smart Hulk as a temporary phase, as angry Hulk overshadows Smart Hulk as the definitive version of the character, and thus is considered by many to be inherently better.

Professor Hulk and Angry Hulk in Marvel Comics

Angry Hulk owes his popularity to the appeal of the inner conflict between Bruce Banner and the Hulk. From The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Fight Club, the struggle of human beings with the savage, animalistic part of themselves has always been relevant. More than yet another superhero, Hulk is the epitome of the battle between reason and wildness. Hence, a brilliant, shy scientist trapped in the body of an unstoppable rage monster is naturally more interesting to the general audience than a jolly buff giant. Curing Bruce Banner of the Hulk may be fitting for his character arc, but it strips him of his charm.

This applies to most comic book characters, if not all of them - not just the MCU's Bruce Banner. For instance, Spider-Man's appeal is the power and responsibility of a struggling run-of-the-mill teenager who must balance his ordinary life with the duties of New York's greatest superhero. Sometimes he receives the godlike powers of Captain Universe or the wealth that comes with Parker Industries, but these kinds of upgrades never stick, as they take away what makes Spider-Man so popular. The same happens to The Thing (his struggle with his appearance) and Wolverine (the pain that comes with his immortality), and even to villains such as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Doctor Doom, who always revert to villainy simply because they're wired that way. Several decades' worth of comic book history proves that characters work best the way they were conceived. Most major changes only last for a few years, at most, and the MCU Smart Hulk is no exception.

Will Angry Hulk Ever Return In The MCU's Future?

She-Hulk Attorney At Law and Angry Hulk in The Incredible Hulk

Live-action superhero movies and shows don't have the same sense of permanence as comic books. While death is sometimes reversible, it is far more definitive. Villains are permanently defeated, and when characters like Iron Man and Captain America die or retire, they're gone for good. It makes sense for Hulk to evolve into Smart Hulk from a narrative perspective since he earned his peace as much as Steve Rogers. However, Mark Ruffalo's MCU journey seems to be far from over, so there may be many opportunities for Bruce Banner to go through new drastic changes. Besides, Angry Hulk could be needed in upcoming movies like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Avengers: Secret Wars and a potential World War Hulk movie, where Hulk could become more unstable than ever before.

Related: Wait, Is Hulk A Mutant In The MCU?

Thankfully for Angry Hulk fans, the cracks have already started to show. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1, the seemingly collected Smart Hulk keeps his calm while he defends himself from She-Hulk's attacks, but the little signs of repressed anger that manifest in massive shows of strength prove just how much power is still contained in Smart Hulk's body. It's also true that Smart Hulk has benefited from several years of relative peace. Had he faced threats in the wake of the Blip, he would likely have lost control already. The She-Hulk: Attorney at Law spaceship that kicks off the events of the show may hint that Hulk's stay at Sakaar will continue to affect him, and the possibility of another trip to space is not off the table, even more so if his son, Skaar, is introduced in the MCU soon. If the MCU does follow the story of World War Hulk, audiences can not only expect the classic Angry Hulk, but perhaps also the most uninhibited version of the Jade Giant ever put to screen.

New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law release on Thursdays on Disney+.

Key Release Dates