Peter Parker has had his fair share of mentors in the MCU. Since he started his superhero career at the ripe age of 15, he has always needed help along the way, whether on the battlefield or in the lab. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the titular hero sought out Bruce Banner, an original Avenger, to learn more about mutations. The geniuses hit it off and came up with a solution to Peter's problem. What never came up was their shared fondness for Tony Stark, but the late hero still found his way into the narrative and may have laid the groundwork for Avengers: Doomsday.
Brand New Day likely avoided dipping its toe into the Iron Man waters because Spider-Man's first era in the MCU was defined by his relationship with Tony. But Marvel Studios can't go long without shouting out the hero who built the franchise, even if it's in subtle ways. In Brand New Day's case, a crew member who worked on the film, @WilliamD1123 on X, revealed that the studio asked for the Stark Industries logo to appear on Bruce's inhibitor.
The graphic was so small that no one who saw the movie in theaters could spot it. However, now that the latest Spider-Man film is available digitally, fans are going through it with a fine-toothed comb and making discoveries like this.
Of course, it's not surprising to see the Stark name on a piece of MCU tech. After all, Tony had his hands in countless cookie jars after he moved his company away from being exclusively a weapons manufacturer. What is interesting is the demand for the Easter egg, as well as its timing.
Marvel Studios certainly puts its art department to work, ensuring every set looks perfect and includes as many references as possible. Brand New Day snuck in a photo of Hulk's son, Skaar, to make sure that major development from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law wasn't glossed over. The picture was easy to spot, though, unlike the logo.
One explanation for why the powers that be felt they had to sneak an Iron Man Easter egg into a Spider-Man movie was to set up Doomsday. The most shocking post-credit scenes in Avengers: Endgame Encore picked up after the events of Brand New Day, with Banner locked away in a government facility after destroying the DODC headquarters. He was recording a video log about experiments he had been conducting on himself when a mysterious figure appeared and took him away.
Encore didn't show Doctor Doom on screen, but the magic remnants left behind in the lab and Robert Downey Jr.'s voice all but confirmed he was behind the incident. Since the scene dropped in theaters, the conversation has been about Doom controlling Bruce after taking him against his will. But that might not be how things go down, especially given Bruce's lack of experience with the multiverse.
Doctor Doom Might Have Hulk Right Where He Wants Him
Over the years, Bruce has shown himself to be a pretty trusting guy. In Brand New Day, he gets chummy with someone he's never met and spills all kinds of secrets; that's just the kind of science bro he is. Well, in Doomsday or beyond, he's going to be brushing shoulders with one of the greatest minds in the multiverse and a man who looks just like his old pal Iron Man.
Doom is sure to give Bruce every reason to trust him. Maybe he claims that he needs his help with the incursions, which is why he takes him from Earth-616 to another reality. Doom can also give himself instant credibility by inviting Spider-Man to the party. In Brand New Day's post-credits scene, the titular hero clearly travels from his Earth to parts unknown. Doom might've paid him a visit, just like he did Bruce, and got another powerful hero out of the way ahead of Doomsday.
Now, the ruse can only last so long. At some point in Doomsday, Earth's Mightiest Heroes are going to learn Doom's true nature and turn on him. And that's where the villain having Hulk in his back pocket will come in handy. Doom will be able to flip a switch inside Bruce and unleash him on all of his former allies.
The Stark Industries logo from Brand New Day is just another reminder that Doom's appearance is no accident, because Tony is and always will be the glue that holds the entire MCU together, even from the grave. The Avengers clearly aren't ready for what's coming, and all of existence is going to pay the price for them letting their guard down.
