Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Officially Marvel’s Best Chance to Fix the Hulk

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The Hulk is making a comeback in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, offering Marvel a chance to finally develop the character after years of challenges. Despite being a hugely popular Marvel hero, the Hulk hasn’t gotten much focus in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since his first appearance in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk – a movie rarely mentioned in later MCU films – he’s mostly appeared as a supporting character in films like The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Bruce Banner, the man behind the Hulk, rarely gets to be the central focus, and his storylines in the MCU haven’t quite satisfied fans.

Although the Leader and Red Hulk showed up in Captain America: Brave New World, the Hulk himself hasn’t been seen since She-Hulk. The trailer for Brand New Day shows Bruce Banner as a college professor, and surprisingly, he’s back to being fully human after becoming Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. There’s speculation that Bruce will transform back into his original, Savage Hulk form during Brand New Day, which could be a big development for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Officially Marvel’s Best Chance to Fix the Hulk

If Savage Hulk makes a comeback in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel will have a great chance to improve the Hulk’s portrayal in the MCU. Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hulk’s character hasn’t been developed consistently, with many important changes happening off-screen. Key events like what happened between The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers, his time on Sakaar before Ragnarok, his shift into Professor Hulk in Endgame, and his recent reversion to Bruce Banner in Brand New Day all occurred without being shown on film. Furthermore, Mark Ruffalo’s version of the Savage Hulk was mostly a supporting character in The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor: Ragnarok, with only a brief appearance in Infinity War before essentially disappearing from the story.

It’s disappointing to see Hulk’s character underused, because he could be one of the most fascinating figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The contrast between Bruce Banner’s intelligence and the Hulk’s raw power – similar to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story – creates a really compelling inner conflict. The struggle for control between Bruce and the Hulk is an interesting idea, but it’s difficult to show this internal battle effectively when Hulk is only a supporting character.

If Bruce Banner transforms back into the Savage Hulk during the ‘Brand New Day’ storyline, it’s a development that deserves to be shown in a movie. While Hulk wouldn’t be the main character, the film could still give his internal conflict the attention it deserves, making up for years of underdeveloped Hulk stories. The story could explore the struggle Bruce faces as he loses control of his more rational ‘Smart Hulk’ persona and reverts to the unpredictable Savage Hulk, and ‘Brand New Day’ would be the perfect place to show the emotional toll this takes on him.

The MCU’s Hulk Problems Will Never Be Fixed Without A Hulk Movie

Even though Brand New Day promises to focus more on Hulk, it likely won’t be enough to make him the main attraction. He’ll probably still play a supporting role to Spider-Man. In fact, Bruce Banner could end up with less screen time than other characters like the Punisher or the new character played by Sadie Sink. Interestingly, Hulk’s most memorable appearance in the MCU was actually as a supporting character in Thor: Ragnarok, proving he doesn’t necessarily need to be the lead to shine.

To really fix the issues with the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a solo Hulk movie is essential. Bruce Banner is a strong enough character to lead his own film – after all, the Hulk has had solo movies before. This would also give Mark Ruffalo, who plays Banner, a chance to fully develop his version of the character, since Edward Norton played the role in the 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk. Ruffalo is a very talented actor, and a movie focused on his Hulk could be truly great.

It doesn’t seem like a standalone Hulk movie will be made in the near future. Universal Pictures still controls the rights to distribute any Hulk films, which means Marvel Studios would have to share the profits with them. Because of this, Disney is hesitant to invest in a solo Hulk movie, which is why the character has mostly appeared as a supporting player. Hulk continues to face rights complications that Marvel has already resolved for characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men, and this has been a recurring issue for him throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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2026-05-25 16:40