I’m Worried That Spider-Man: Brand New Day Will Continue the MCU’s Worst Hulk Trend

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Fans are excited about Hulk’s return in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but I’m concerned the movie might repeat past mistakes with the character. Hulk hasn’t been featured much in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with his only standalone film being 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. His limited appearances, like being left out of Captain America: Civil War, and the unusual storyline where he became Professor Hulk, have created a strange and inconsistent portrayal of the character.

Not much is known about the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie, but Spider-Man, The Punisher, and Hulk are confirmed to appear. There’s a lot of talk that Bruce Banner will change back from his Professor Hulk persona to the more aggressive Savage Hulk, and some sources even suggest we might see him become Grey Hulk. While Hulk fans who didn’t love the Professor Hulk storyline will likely be thrilled, this change could create problems for the character’s overall arc.

Hulk’s Biggest MCU Plot Points Keep Happening Off-Screen (& It Could Happen Again In Brand New Day)

Although Hulk was introduced early in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most of his important story developments since Avengers: Age of Ultron have happened between movies, not on screen. For example, in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor finds Hulk as a champion on the planet Sakaar, but we don’t actually see how he got there. This exciting part of Hulk’s story – his transformation and time as a champion – happened off-screen, in the time between Age of Ultron and Ragnarok, leaving fans who enjoy the character missing out on a significant part of his journey.

Recently, the Hulk has changed significantly, evolving into Professor Hulk during the time jump in Avengers: Endgame. This transformation, which involves Bruce Banner merging his two identities, has been a key part of the Hulk’s story in the comics. However, the movie didn’t show how Banner achieved this balance, as Endgame had too much going on. When we next see Banner in the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he’s successfully become Bruce Banner again, though the process isn’t explained.

A significant event happens behind the scenes when Hulk shows up in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. He unexpectedly reveals he has a son named Skaar, a well-known character from Marvel Comics. Even if Skaar doesn’t reappear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is a huge development for Bruce Banner’s story.

The upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day is rumored to revert Hulk back to his more aggressive, “Savage Hulk” form after a long period as the calmer Professor Hulk. It would be fantastic if we could see Bruce Banner’s transformation and the resulting character development play out during the movie – something fans haven’t witnessed in a long time. However, there’s concern that the change to Savage Hulk might already have happened before the film begins, skipping over that important story arc.

The MCU hasn’t treated Hulk very well, and the upcoming Brand New Day movie could be his chance to shine again. I really hope they get his story right, but considering past Marvel films, I’m not very optimistic.

The MCU Desperately Needs To Give Hulk Another Movie

It’s been nearly twenty years since the Hulk last starred in his own movie, and Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner, has never had a solo film. After largely sidelining the character for years, Marvel really needs to give Bruce Banner his own story, especially after the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Being unexpectedly changed back into the Savage Hulk will definitely affect him, and a movie would be the perfect way to show the consequences of that transformation.

The MCU still has many stories from The Incredible Hulk comics it could use, and World War Hulk is the most popular choice. While it wouldn’t be a direct copy, seeing Hulk battle some of Earth’s greatest heroes would be exciting. A movie focusing on Hulk, Red Hulk, She-Hulk, and Skaar as a team would also be a great idea.

It’s frustrating that so many Hulk-related characters and storylines have shown up in Marvel movies that aren’t about Hulk himself, making it difficult to use his classic elements in a dedicated Hulk film. We’ve seen variations like Red Hulk and The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World, Abomination reappear in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and now Grey Hulk might even show up in Brand New Day. The MCU hasn’t given Hulk the focus he deserves, and a solo movie is really the only way to fix that.

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2026-03-13 21:42