Bruce Banner is slated to return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, creating all sorts of opportunities for the Hulk to get the redemption his character so greatly deserves. Since Avengers: Infinity War, Mark Ruffalo has reprised his role as Bruce Banner three times, but in none of those instances have the MCU used the most beloved side of the character – the Savage Hulk.
Savage Hulk was swept aside after his lop-sided loss to Thanos in the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. But rather than return for a rematch against the Mad Titan in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel replaced him with a new version of the Hulk persona, Smart Hulk.
Unfortunately, this decision came at the cost of the original Hulk, who has now gone eight years without a live-action MCU appearance. There’s no definitive proof that this trend will end in 2026, but with Smart Hulk being a thing of the past and Bruce Banner getting a major role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Savage Hulk has a real shot at returning.
Given the length of the Hulk’s absence, it’s important that the MCU find a way to make the most of his character if it truly does decide to feature him in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Fortunately, there’s multiple avenues that the movie can take that would accomplish this goal.
Hulk Reclaims His Title As “The Strongest One There Is”
Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk grimaces in Avengers Age of Ultron
For much of Marvel Comics history, the Hulk has traditionally been perceived as Marvel’s physically strongest superhero, as evidenced by his long-held title as “the strongest one there is.” The MCU was consistent with that definition of his strength for a time, but gradually began to challenge that with indications that characters like Captain Marvel were superior to him.
Losing to Thanos certainly didn’t help Hulk’s case, and over time, the MCU has gotten away from the feeling that the Hulk is at the top of the power scale. Admittedly, Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t in the best position to correct that, as there’s no evidence that it will feature any other MCU or Marvel Comics powerhouses for him to fight.
But if Spider-Man: Brand New Day is hiding some surprise villains or has Hulk cakewalk through several super-powered characters at once, the MCU may have a chance at reasserting Hulk’s claim on the title of the MCU’s strongest hero.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sets Up Hulk To Join A New Defenders Team
defenders banner, hulk, namor, strange, thor
A great way to handle a possible return for the Hulk is to breathe some hope into his future. That could work if Spider-Man: Brand New Day aligns him with a team he has long-standing connections with, namely, the Defenders.
The Hulk may be a founding member of the Avengers, but in the classic comics, he wasn’t a mainstay of the group. Instead, he was mostly associated with the Defenders, which was made up of some of Marvel’s most powerful heroes, including Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer, and Namor the Sub-Mariner.
An exciting storyline that puts the Savage Hulk back on the path of being a hero and culminating in a tease that sets up him to join an MCU iteration of the original Defenders team would go a long way toward building hype for Mark Ruffalo’s expected role in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Splits Up Hulk & Bruce Banner
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner looking at Tom Holland as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.©2026 Sony Pictures Entertainment
Prioritizing Bruce Banner over the Savage Hulk resulted in the character sitting on the sidelines for both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which is one reason why it would certainly feel earned if Spider-Man: Brand New Day became Hulk’s turn to hog the spotlight.
Over the years, Marvel has toyed with the idea of temporarily splitting up Hulk and Bruce Banner. In one particular storyline, published in The Incredible Hulk #315, Doc Samson used his scientific expertise to pull it off, prompting a chase led by Banner to track down the Hulk.
It would be interesting to see Marvel try a similar route, as it would allow us to see how both characters respond to finally being independent of each other. The Hulk admittedly deserves this moment more than Banner, however, considering that Banner has seemingly been living without his other half interfering in his life for years.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Matches Hulk’s Loki Moment
Loki incapacitated by the Hulk in The Avengers
The Hulk had what was arguably the highlight of his time in the MCU in The Avengers when he suddenly grabbed a defiant (and apparently overconfident) Loki, before slinging him against the ground repeatedly. The Hulk’s casual walloping (and extreme disrespect) of an MCU god made it an unforgettable Hulk scene that the MCU has yet to surpass or even match.
The Hulk is at his most fun when he’s showcasing his power, not losing to Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor or Thor. Hopefully, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will lean on the portrayal of the Hulk in The Avengers, and entertain audiences with a display of Hulk’s power that’s both surprising and humorous. Given the comedic tone of Spider-Man’s MCU outings, that shouldn’t be an impossible task.
Hulk Gets Revenge For Being Repressed By Bruce Banner For Years
Smart Hulk and Steve Rogers look shocked to hear of Natasha Romanoff’s death in Avengers Endgame
When Smart Hulk explained his new state in Avengers: Endgame, it was indicated that it was a mutual arrangement, as if they had reached a balance. That was in spite of the notion that the very idea of Bruce Banner’s new form implied that the Savage Hulk persona was now dead or permanently repressed.
From that perspective, it’s hard to imagine that the Hulk would truly find this new status quo to be acceptable. Because not only did the Hulk not get control of their shared body in the movie, but he hasn’t done so in years. If and when he finally does get loose in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Hulk should react appropriately.
Based on traditional depictions of the character, that should involve a furious rampage, and perhaps even a deeper feeling of resentment toward Banner. Depending on how it progresses, such an arc could lead to a proper Planet Hulk storyline, where Hulk wages war with the rest of the Earth’s heroes.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Pits The Savage Hulk Against Man-Spider
Spider-Man screams in his monstrous Man-Spider transformation
The Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer has confirmed that Spider-Man’s DNA is mutating, which has naturally drawn comparisons to Spider-Man: The Animated Series’ twist on the Six Arms Saga, which ultimately transformed Peter Parker into a grotesque, spider-like creature known as “Man-Spider.”
Spider-Man couldn’t control himself in this form, prompting Kraven the Hunter and the Punisher to team up against him. The MCU could do something similar, albeit with Bruce Banner and the Punisher. If Banner finds himself in a life-threatening situation with the Man-Spider, that could be what brings back the Hulk.
If Spider-Man: Brand New Day really is setting up Tom Holland’s character to become Man-Spider, it will have the tools necessary for an exciting showdown even the comics themselves haven’t done – Man-Spider vs. the Savage Hulk. If both characters go on a rampage, the MCU can deliver a one-on-one battle full of fan service and destruction.
Release Date
July 31, 2026
Director
Destin Daniel Cretton