The grim status of the Avengers in MCU Phase 4 is hinted at by Hulk's location in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' post-credits scene. Destin Cretton and Simu Liu's Marvel Studios film was mostly focused on its narrative, but it also established ties to the bigger franchise as well. Aside from clearing up the truth about the Mandarin's real identity and the origins of the Ten Rings, it achieved this by featuring a lot of familiar faces from the bigger universe, with Mark Ruffalo's return as Bruce Banner arguably its biggest surprise.

As one of the remaining original Avengers members still in the MCU after the Infinity Saga, seeing the Hulk incorporated into Phase 4 was a treat for fans. His appearance came during Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' post-credits scene as Wong (Benedict Wong) invited Shang-Chi (Liu) and Katy (Akwafina) to the Sanctum Santorum to question them about the Ten Rings. Joining them via holograms were Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Banner—both looking noticeably different than their last appearances in the MCU. Banner is somehow no longer Smart Hulk, a persona he debuted in Avengers: Endgame as a middle ground between his two forms. While Marvel Studios has yet to provide an answer regarding this mystery, one lingering question about Banner's cameo has recently been addressed.

Related: The Post-Endgame World Needs The Avengers More Than Captain America

In a new interview, Weta VFX supervisor Sean Walker—who worked on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' post-credits scene—revealed that Banner was in his own laboratory during the meeting. This seems like a straightforward answer, but it also secretly reveals the grim status of the Avengers in MCU Phase 4 as it implies that everyone is scattered and functioning on their own after Avengers: Endgame. As a founding Avengers member who has had the closest working relationship to Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), he should have moved into the Avengers facility in upstate New York and manned the headquarters the same way Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) did on the heels of Thanos' snap. Natasha Romanoff's decision to do this allowed the team to easily re-assemble five years later. Now, without anyone acting as a primary coordinator among the remaining MCU heroes, coming together in case another threat arrives would be much more difficult.

But, what if Hulk isn't in the Avengers HQ in Upstate New York because it still hasn't been fixed after being destroyed in Avengers: Endgame? This actually makes things worse, as it could mean that Earth's Mightiest Heroes have no headquarters in the wake of Tony's death. This suggests that they also don't have access to gadgets, weaponry, and all other resources that Stark and Stark Industries provided them before. Iron Man previously took care of these operational responsibilities for the team, ensuring that his fellow heroes had nothing else to worry about other than their mission at hand. But without him, it's uncertain who takes over this particular job.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is occupied with a different mission as he works with the Skrulls in space; in addition to that, he has long outgrown his role as the Avengers' ringleader. Since Stark's death was unexpected, it's possible that he didn't leave clear instructions about how the team will be supported when he's no longer around. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) could continue her late husband's commitment to the Avengers Initiative, but considering her non-involvement in Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) woes in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's possible that she isn't keen on meddling with Avengers' business—especially as a newly single mother with a large corporation to run.

With Avengers 5 still not officially confirmed, it might take a while before Marvel Studios gives a concrete update about the status of the Avengers in MCU Phase 4. This makes sense considering that the franchise is currently in a transition period and focusing on debuting new characters, like in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and smaller team-ups. Based on the few indications thus far, however, the Avengers is non-functioning and is disassembled, at least for now.

More: Avengers 5 Could Have Multiple Avengers Teams

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