Bruce Banner

Bruce Banner is shown as a mild-mannered, mysterious, shy, logical and analytical man of science. The incident at Culver University caused Banner to become somewhat mentally troubled and obsessed with finding a cure for his mutation. He is compassionate and afraid of hurting someone unintentionally, so he tries not to get close to something or someone that leaves him stressed.

Ever since his first transformation Banner was terribly afraid of Hulk and the risk of him hurting those around him. He abandoned everyone and everything he cared about and became a fugitive for five years to prevent Hulk's power from falling into the wrong hands, while desperately searching for a cure and attempting to avoid transforming at all costs. On some occasions, he lost hope of getting rid of his other persona and showed suicidal tendencies, attempting to kill himself once. Banner also appears to suffer from post-traumatic stress, such as being awakened by nightmares of Hulk being shot by Emil Blonsky or falling into the bathtub when the shower reminded him of a minigun that previously attacked Hulk and Betty Ross. The only times he was willing to let himself transform was during the Battle of New York, when attempting to intimidate Wanda Maximoff, as he was angry with her for having set Hulk loose on Johannesburg, to the point where he threatened to kill her without even transforming, and when he tried to protect the Asgardians from Hela, her army of Berserkers and the Fenris. Despite this, he still dislikes having to transform into Hulk to battle, as it would require him to harm and kill others, which he expressed after the Attack on the HYDRA Research Base, as Thor commented on Hulk's kills and inadvertently made Banner feel ashamed and regretful.

After having shown some success in controlling the monster, he seemed to have abandoned the search for a cure and redeemed himself, helping sick people in poor areas of the world. Thus, he appeared to be more comfortable and sarcastic in various situations with fellow Avengers. He is no longer even afraid to get angry as it no longer triggers a transformation instantly. Tony Stark encouraged Banner to see Hulk as an ally rather than a destructive curse by pointing out that Hulk technically saved his life when the Gamma exposure accident occurred. Eventually Banner became confident enough to bring out Hulk voluntarily knowing he won't attack his allies.

After getting his wish of being cured of Hulk's identity, this has left Banner vulnerable and unable to help his teammates directly as he has lost the strength gained from being Hulk. However, despite this, Banner displays great courage by fighting in the Battle of Wakanda wearing the Hulkbuster Armor, even facing Thanos again without fear.

In the years that followed the Snap, Banner started to see Hulk as a cure to his woes instead of a disease in need of curing. His 18-month-long transformation into his current form, which combined his intelligence with Hulk's strength, helped him feel peace and acceptance in his life, a balance that the separation of Hulk and Banner would never have allowed as long as it remained.

Ironically, Banner was one of the few individuals who improved themselves in the post-Snap world. In contrast to figures such as Tony Stark or Thor, who had quit heroism, Banner was active within the community. Consequently, he became a celebrity and a figure of safety and stability in the fragile world. Attitudes about Hulk sharply contrasted to those a decade ago. A once feared figure was now a beloved hero.

In his new form, Banner kept his pacifist ways, having expressed disgust at War Machine's suggestion that the Avengers strangle an infant Thanos and written off his past penchant for property damage as "gratuitous" before halfheartedly smashing up a New York taxi, later he obtained the Time Stone by calmly negotiating with the Ancient One instead of attacking her. Despite his guilt for losing to Thanos twice, he felt no need to seek vengeance when Thanos attacked the Avengers Facility. This, combined with his embarrassment of his past Hulk-self, illustrates how he had moved beyond feeling a need to 'smash' things and prove his strength.

Banner became significantly more casual and confident in public areas after Hulk became a celebrity, openly giving autographs to his fans and joking about "Hulking out" while doing so. Despite this, Banner can still take a more aggressive form when the situation calls for it and behave more like his former Hulk self, as seen during the Battle of Earth. Additionally, during times of conflict, Banner had developed a polite sternness and authority. This was seen during his encounter with Thor on New Asgard, in which he politely asked Thor to stop holding him before forcing him to let go. Furthermore, during his encounter with the Ancient One, Banner asked for the Time Stone before calmly attempting to take it from her.

The Nano Gauntlet and the Blip represented a chance for Banner's life to have a meaningful resolution. Previously, Banner would not have been strong enough to solely wield the gauntlet. Conversely, Hulk would not have had the mental capability to resurrect half of all life. Banner noted the irony of Stones emitting gamma radiation as it was his expertise and the source of Hulk's power.

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