The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, but some of its original heroes need further development. Fortunately, Marvel has another opportunity to improve the Hulk’s storyline (played by Mark Ruffalo). Before the next big team-up events, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, there’s one more Spider-Man adventure on the way.
Marvel Studios has two films planned for 2026, the first being Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the movie continues the story after the events of No Way Home. In that film, a spell caused everyone to forget Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland), leaving him without connections to his friends and former associates.
The upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day will introduce Peter Parker to several new faces, including Jon Bernthal reprising his role as the Punisher, a mysterious character played by Sadie Sink, and returning villains like Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan. The movie will also feature a reunion with an old ally: the Hulk.
The Hulk Will Return In Spider-Man: Brand New Day
We don’t yet know the specifics of the story for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but several familiar characters will be appearing. The most unexpected addition is Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk. This is surprising both because he hasn’t typically been connected to Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and because of the spell cast at the end of No Way Home.
The upcoming storyline, Brand New Day, promises a return to Spider-Man’s roots as a neighborhood hero, which explains his interactions with characters like the Punisher. This is interesting considering the Hulk is usually a massive figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it’s unknown how significant the Hulk’s part will be in Brand New Day, fans hope he’ll have a meaningful role and won’t be sidelined.
The Hulk Has Been Failed By The MCU Since Infinity War
The Hulk’s journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been unique. He first appeared in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton in the role. Later, Mark Ruffalo took over the part, first appearing as the Hulk in The Avengers and briefly in a scene after the credits of Iron Man 3.
The Hulk appeared in several Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, plus the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law TV series. However, the MCU started facing challenges with the Hulk’s character in Infinity War. After being sent back to Earth when Thanos attacked the Asgardian ship, Bruce Banner found himself unable to transform into the Hulk.
Okay, so the whole Smart Hulk thing in Endgame was…weird. Banner eventually changed back, which was fine, but honestly, since Infinity War, his storyline just hasn’t made sense. They’ve totally lost what made Banner interesting! He used to be this complex guy struggling with the Hulk, and now he’s just…a brainy consultant everyone calls on when things get tough. It’s a shame, because he hasn’t really been a superhero for a while now, and it feels like they forgot about all that internal conflict that made him so compelling.
How Spider-Man: Brand New Day Can Bring The Real Hulk Back
After the events of She-Hulk – a storyline that also introduced the Hulk’s son, Skaar, and added to the confusion – it’s unknown what Bruce Banner/Hulk is up to. However, this might actually be a good thing for the character, allowing him to focus on using his strength and rage to help others, much like in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has spent too much time on Bruce Banner’s internal conflicts without a clear purpose, which has made the storyline feel disorganized and dull. To improve things, Marvel could revisit the earlier relationship between Banner and Hulk, where Banner provided the intelligence and calm thinking, and Hulk handled the physical action.
It’ll be really fascinating to see how Hulk and Spider-Man interact in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, especially since Bruce Banner doesn’t recognize Peter Parker anymore and how that affects their relationship.
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2026-02-14 18:09