Tom Holland's Spider-Man is poaching a key moment from Iron Man and the Avengers franchise in this July's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The MCU's Spider-Man franchise has faced criticism over the last decade for its extensive ties to Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, who became Peter Parker's mentor and even appeared in Homecoming. Furthermore, Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan, a close friend of the late Tony Stark, has had a consistent presence in the first trilogy, while Spider-Man villains like Vulture and Mysterio were motivated by hatred for Stark.
Even with Brand New Day arriving seven years after Iron Man's exit from the MCU in Avengers: Endgame, it is still gearing up to copy one of the Armored Avenger's most iconic moments, and it all links back to Stark's old friend, The Hulk!
Marvel Studios has been hiding Brand New Day's strongest superhero from its marketing, only featuring Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner in his human form. But merchandise and reports have confirmed that there is more to Ruffalo's return than being Peter Parker's college professor and an expert on DNA mutation.
Recent toy listings from Brand New Day confirmed reports that Savage Hulk will be unleashed and "scarier than ever," ending the divisive Smart Hulk era. But that won't just be a problem for Spider-Man 4's many villains; it will also be an issue for Tom Holland's Peter Parker, who has been pictured fighting the Hulk in toy ads.
While Marvel Studios hasn't revealed who will unleash the Savage Hulk, there is one popular theory: Jean Grey, played by Stranger Things' Sadie Sink. The mutant icon has been heavily rumored to appear, and mind control is expected to play a central role in Spider-Man 4, making her a viable candidate to let the Hulk loose.
Furthermore, LEGO has listed an official Brand New Day set featuring the web-slinger and gamma-fueled monster, alongside villains Tarantula, Boomerang, and Scorpion, along with an anonymous Hot Dog Vendor.
Interestingly, the set is called "Spider-Man vs. Hulk Epic Clash," even though the official images primarily have the two Avengers fighting the movie's villains, indicating this may be a three-sided fight in Brand New Day.
If that all sounds a little familiar to longtime MCU fans, it would be with good reason, as Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark had his own, almost identical encounter with Mark Ruffalo's Hulk over a decade ago in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
While on a mission working for Ultron in Johannesburg, South Africa, Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff sought to tear apart the Avengers from within by planting hallucinations in their brains with her powerful magic.
Iron Man envisioned all of Earth's Mightiest Heroes dead on a barren world, Black Widow recalled her traumatic days in the Red Room, and Captain America found himself at the 1940s victory dance with Peggy Carter that he never got to attend.
Age of Ultron never confirmed what Wanda showed Banner, but it transformed him into a rage-fueled Hulk who rampaged through Johannesburg and caused mass destruction, although it's unclear whether there were any casualties.
Stark showcased his usual preparedness in deploying the Hulkbuster armor from his Veronica module in space. Wearing his extra buff armor, Iron Man went toe-to-toe with Hulk across the city and ultimately came out victorious, knocking him unconscious right as he was starting to come to his senses.
Fortunately, unlike Iron Man, Spider-Man will have another superhero around to help him fight the Hulk, hopefully improving his odds at victory. But he may not need any extra reinforcements, as Spider-Man has defeated the gamma-green hero previously in the comics, often utilizing his speed, agility, and brains.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Severing the Iron Man Connections
Many have been critical of the MCU's web-slinging franchise, often declaring Tom Holland's Peter Parker to be more of an "Iron Boy Jr." than Spider-Man. While Peter is placed to follow in his mentor's footsteps by fighting Hulk, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the movie seems to have cut back on the Iron Man connections.
First up, Spider-Man will reportedly develop his own technology going forward, including his brand-new AI helper and FRIDAY replacement, EV, setting aside Stark technology for good. Still, the very existence of that type of advanced technology for Spider-Man has rung alarm bells for some fans.
Furthermore, the Spider-Man saga is seemingly bidding farewell to a recurring, Iron Man-related character, as Jon Favreau confirmed that he won't appear as Happy Hogan in Brand New Day. Of course, that makes a lot of sense, given that Happy, like everyone else, forgot Peter Parker after Spider-Man: No Way Home.
That said, it's easy to imagine Tony Stark at least being referenced in Brand New Day, especially as a heartbreaking moment involving him may be looming. If Spider-Man appears in Avengers: Secret Wars next year, he may soon have to come face-to-face with his old mentor (or at least his likeness), this time on opposing sides through Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.
