Marvel and Sony's next Spider-Man chapter is almost here. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and hitting theaters on July 31, picks up with Tom Holland's Peter Parker adapting to college life in a New York City that no longer remembers his name. The film brings a packed roster of threats, including Michael Mando's returning Scorpion, who enters the film in a divisive suit, Marvin Jones III as Tombstone, Boomerang, Tarantula, and Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. As if the exciting list of characters was not enough, everybody's favourite green monster will be in the mix too. Mark Ruffalo has been confirmed to appear in the film as Bruce Banner, with set photos showing his character injured. It was, however, not official whether he'd feature as Hulk too, but now that mystery is resolved.
New official promo art for Brand New Day confirms that Ruffalo is returning as the Hulk. The art shows Hulk in the shadow of Spider-Man alongside Scorpion and Boomerang. Despite being cloaked in darkness, it's easy to spot Hulk, and he doesn’t look happy, which is standard for him. He furrows his brow and gnashes his teeth in the background.
The Hulk was introduced in the MCU in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, played by Edward Norton, who eventually left the role for Ruffalo to take over. Since then, the Hulk has featured in several MCU films. He's not had another solo outing yet for several complex reasons. It doesn’t, however, diminish how big a force he's been in the MCU fighting alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes. His next outing will mark his seventh appearance in an MCU film, making it historic. Hulk will fulfill the dream of many Marvel fans as it’s the first time the character will appear in a solo Spider-Man movie.
Every MCU Movie the Hulk Has Featured In
The Incredible Hulk
The only MCU film starring a Hulk other than Ruffalo, The Incredible Hulk cast Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, a man on the run from both the US military and his own worst impulses.
The film's climax delivered a monster brawl through the streets of Harlem as Hulk fought Tim Roth's Abomination. This is the version of the Hulk that most MCU fans miss. His primal instincts were at an all-time high. That battle with Abomination was brutal. This iteration of Hulk was extremely raw and had no time for idle chatter. He just wanted to cause chaos and rough up adversaries bold enough to face him.
The Avengers
Mark Ruffalo's debut as Banner in The Avengers gave audiences what many still consider one of the best MCU Hulk performances. The Battle of New York even produced that hilarious "puny god" moment. Hulk ragdolls Loki after his speech demanding respect as a God.
The God of Mischief’s look of shock and groans while half-buried in concrete makes it all the more memorable. Ruffalo played Banner as a man perpetually on the edge, and when that edge arrived in the final battle, the result was magnificent.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
The last time Savage Hulk went completely off the rails was in Age of Ultron. Scarlet Witch's mind control unleashed Banner against innocent people in Johannesburg, and the Hulkbuster fight that followed remains one of the MCU's most viscerally satisfying action sequences. In that film, Hulk's skin appears a bit darker, making him look even more terrifying.
By the film's end, a horrified Hulk pilots a Quinjet away from Earth rather than face what he nearly became. It would be two years before anyone found him again.
Thor: Ragnarok
When Thor crash-landed on Sakaar, he found Hulk had been living there for two years, and Bruce Banner was nowhere to be found, just the Hulk. Director Taika Waititi gave the character a new personality in Thor: Ragnarok. It was pretty fun to watch Hulk cracking jokes, throwing tantrums, and demanding respect.
As charming as that was, it began the gradual shift away from the character's more threatening nature. The arena fight between Thor and Hulk is electric, but from this point on, the monster starts making way for something more manageable. One can argue that this film also affected another character, Thor. Just as Hulk's subsequent appearance did not land well, his Love and Thunder portrayal did not either. The film took Ragnarok's tone a bit too far.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War is often cited as the best MCU movie made. However, many fans still haven’t forgiven the Russos for what they did to Hulk. Infinity War is one of Hulk's least memorable appearances in the MCU. Early in the film, the directors use him to show audiences how strong Thanos is. He's beaten very easily by the Mad Titan and essentially evolves Hulk from a monster into a scaredy cat. The character doesn’t receive much screen time as he's too traumatized from the thumping he received at the hands of Thanos to come out rampaging.
Hulk left Bruce Banner on his own, but he thrived thanks to the Hulkbuster suit, which came in clutch during Wakanda's climactic battle. Hulk fans felt he was done dirty, and his next film appearance did not help matters either. To many, it made it worse.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame is the most consequential and the most debated Hulk appearance in the franchise. In the five years since Thanos's Snap, Banner spent 18 months fusing his two personalities into Smart Hulk, Banner's mind and Hulk's body.
Although this Hulk is hated, he was essential in the film. The victims of the Blip don’t get saved without Smart Hulk. He used the Nano Gauntlet to reverse the Snap, permanently injuring his arm in the process. No one else on the Avengers team possessed the physiology to do this. A mindless version of the Hulk wouldn’t have the mind to bring the victims back, either.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
