Spider-Man: Brand New Day is bringing back one more familiar MCU superhero than meets the eye. Before Avengers: Doomsday portals into theaters in December to unite the entire Multiverse, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will deliver its own union of MCU heroes on July 31. Ever since Marvel Studios took control of the Spider-Man franchise in 2017, each new blockbuster has mashed the wall-crawler's familiar supporting cast with players from the wider MCU, including Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, and Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first trailer offered glimpses of much of the MCU blockbuster's core cast, including Tom Holland's Peter Parker, Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner. The studio may have shown off three of Brand New Day's leading superheroes, but its strongest was completely missing.
After a lecture at Empire State University, Parker turned to his class professor, Banner, for his expertise on DNA mutation, something the wall-crawler will seemingly be going through himself, leading him to develop a new superpower.
Of course, due to Doctor Strange's spell at the climax of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Bruce Banner had no memory of Peter Parker, although there is little evidence that the two Avengers ever had much interaction.
The first look certainly gave the impression that only Banner, not the Hulk, would be appearing in this year's Spider-Man blockbuster, but that isn't true at all.
While Brand New Day's first trailer had some theorizing that Banner will only appear as a scientific figure and college professor, Marvel Studios finally confirmed that Hulk's gamma-infused form will be back in art shared by a Brazilian retailer.
The art makes it clear that no, Brand New Day won't be the return of the divisive Smart Hulk, introduced in Avengers: Endgame. Instead, the monstrous Savage Hulk is firmly back in action and ready to cause chaos for Spider-Man.
The summer blockbuster will mark Hulk's first MCU appearance since She-Hulk: Attorney at Law landed on Disney+ in 2022. It will also mark the first time that moviegoers have seen a fully-charged Hulk since Avengers: Infinity War.
Only time will tell whether Marvel Studios inserts Hulk into a future Brand New Day trailer or saves what is sure to be an epic set piece for a third-act bombshell.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day could feature as many as five superheroes, with Tom Holland's Peter Parker leading the charge. While Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk are the only other confirmed heroes, Florence Pugh has been reported to reprise Yelena Belova in a "few scenes," and mass rumors and speculation point to Sadie Sink joining the MCU as Jean Grey on July 31.
Why Hulk Will Be Scarier Than Ever in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Putting aside his deadly alter ego, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner has a very good reason to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. As Tom Holland's Peter Parker gradually mutates into an even more spidery version of himself, it seems he will turn to his college professor for help, unless he isn't a student and is sneaking into an Empire State University class looking for his former Avengers colleague.
While his scientific expertise and new college job will seemingly be what ropes Banner into Brand New Day's web, that's not to say that the Hulk won't also be coming out to play later on. In fact, reports have stated that Hulk will be "scarier than ever" in Spider-Man 4 and could even claim a victim in his destruction.
In terms of what will bring the Hulk back out after all these years, through which he and Banner had resolved their differences, many have speculated that it connects back to Sadie Sink's mind-controlling foe, who is heavily rumored to be Jean Grey, possibly as some kind of distraction to escape danger.
Interestingly, as part of a storyline in Marvel Comics in which Peter Parker made a deal with Mephisto to make everyone forget that he was Spider-Man, the only person to remember was Hulk, while even Banner forgot. It would be a missed opportunity for Brand New Day not to capitalize on that genius idea.
