Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a pleasant surprise for many MCU fans in 2021, providing an origin story for the character of Simu Liu's Shang-Chi and propelling him to being a household name. While the film was praised for its neatly written plot and introducing new characters to the franchise, many viewers were also impressed with the visual effects and the hand-to-hand fight choreography based on martial arts.
After the final frames of Shang-Chi had passed and the credits began to roll, many fans eagerly waited in their seats to see what the post-credits scenes would be that are present in every Marvel project. The first sequence showcased Meng'er Zhang's Xialing, Shang-Chi's sister, as she returned to the headquarters of the Ten Rings and took her father's place as the head of the organization.
However, the second post-credits scene is what caught the eye of many viewers, as it featured appearances from a few of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Shang-Chi and Awkwafina's Katy were at a bar when Benedict Wong's Wong came through a portal and requested that they come with him.
After the two characters followed the sorcerer, they met up with holographic projections of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner to discuss the Ten Rings and the action that should next be taken. Viewers weren't told the locations of the two Avengers, but a recent interview has provided insight into where Bruce was during the scene.
Where Is Bruce Banner During Shang-Chi?
In an interview with Variety, Weta VFX supervisor Sean Walker talked about the second post-credits scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Walker revealed that "the entire sequence" was put together in only "four days," despite it being his first time working with holographic effects:
“I just sat down two compositors and two effects artists, and just said, ‘Come up with something and let your imagination go wild.’ Within four days they came up with the entire sequence.”
The VFX supervisor also revealed that Larson, Awkwafina, and Liu were all on different stages and, most notably, that Ruffalo's Bruce Banner was physically located "in his own laboratory" during the scene:
[Ruffalo's Bruce was] in his own laboratory, but we had to bring them all together into one final shot.”
Hulk is Back in the Lab
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, it was a little bit of a shock to fans when they saw Mark Ruffalo in full Bruce Banner mode. The character explained in Endgame that he found a way to mesh his own self with the Hulk to get "the best of both worlds," and many viewers thought that this would be the new normal for the character going forward.
However, it seems as though he has reverted back to the way he was before. It is unclear whether or not he now has complete control over his transformations into Hulk, or if that is something that can still be triggered at the drop of a hat like in the first Avengers movie, but only time will tell.
While it's unknown what Bruce was doing in his lab, it has been revealed that he will be spending some time there in the upcoming She-Hulk series on Disney+, working with Tatiana Maslanay's character as she comes into her own version of the super-strength hero.
After that, there are rumors of where Bruce and Hulk will appear next, but as yet nothing has been confirmed.
