Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Confirmed Hulk Story Finally Fulfills an MCU Promise From 18 Years Ago

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Fans have been waiting 18 years, but the classic Incredible Hulk is finally coming back in the new Spider-Man movie, Brand New Day. Since the first Hulk movie in 2008, Bruce Banner and his alter ego have mostly appeared briefly in Avengers and Thor films. Things got even more complicated when Bruce became Smart Hulk in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, leaving fans without seeing the original, Savage Hulk.

Things are looking up for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. There’s a strong possibility the next movie will show Smart Hulk reverting to his original, Savage Hulk form, and Spider-Man will have to stop him. With Bruce Banner appearing in the first Brand New Day trailer, this idea seems more and more likely, and many fans are eager to see the character return to his classic state in the sequel.

Brand New Day Will Finally Tell Another Savage Hulk Story After The Incredible Hulk

It’s fair to say the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t handled the Hulk quite like the comics. In the original Marvel stories, Hulk often fights other heroes, causing widespread destruction. However, the MCU version has been different. After his first solo movie, The Incredible Hulk, he joined The Avengers and, for the most part, was a surprisingly well-behaved team member, with only a little bit of rampaging. While he did go on a rampage in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it wasn’t because of his usual anger – it was caused by Wanda Maximoff controlling him.

In Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk is either being controlled by the Grandmaster or assisting Thor, and he doesn’t go on any destructive rampages. He only fights Thanos once in Infinity War before transforming into Smart Hulk in Endgame. As a result, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen the classic, unrestrained Savage Hulk. This is unfortunate, as The Incredible Hulk originally suggested a much larger and more prominent role for the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe than he’s ultimately had.

As a big MCU fan, I remember being really excited after The Incredible Hulk. The ending, with Bruce trying to control his transformations in Canada, and that little hint about the Leader, made me think Hulk was going to be a huge part of everything going forward. It felt like a natural progression for the universe, especially being only the second movie! But then, when Ed Norton left and Mark Ruffalo took over, it was like Marvel just… forgot about that whole storyline. It felt like a real broken promise, honestly. They kind of distanced themselves from The Incredible Hulk and left all that potential on the table.

Fortunately, the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to be taking a cue from the classic The Incredible Hulk. The new film is shifting away from the more intellectual “Smart Hulk” and returning to the raw, powerful “Savage Hulk” – a welcome change. It also looks like we’ll finally get to see a full-scale Hulk rampage, instead of just another team-up movie. This is something fans have wanted for a long time, and Brand New Day might actually deliver on that expectation.

Hulk Really Needs His Own Movie After Brand New Day

With the return of the classic Savage Hulk in the Brand New Day storyline, now is an ideal moment to create a new Incredible Hulk film. A movie focusing on the more intellectual ‘Smart Hulk’ persona wouldn’t have been as compelling, but the current story provides a great foundation for a film centered on the iconic, enraged Hulk. The events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day could even introduce a fascinating conflict, perhaps with Bruce Banner trying to find inner peace while battling his return to his more primal form.

Mark Ruffalo is a highly skilled actor within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he hasn’t yet had the chance to star in his own movie. A solo Hulk film would allow him to take center stage and finally be the lead, rather than supporting other heroes like Thor and Spider-Man.

A dedicated Hulk movie would finally let the rich history of the character be fully explored. Many Hulk characters, like Red Hulk, the Leader, and Skaar, have appeared in other Marvel projects, making it difficult to connect them meaningfully to Bruce Banner’s story. Now, the MCU has everything it needs to create a great Hulk film, and it’s time to make it happen.

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2026-05-01 02:40