It’s become tradition for the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man movies to pair Tom Holland’s Peter Parker with other major characters who aren’t usually in the Wall-Crawler’s direct sphere. For the 2026 movie release Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we’re getting a twofer, because in addition to Jon Bernthal is reprising Frank Castle/The Punisher, Mark Ruffalo will come back as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Now there’s a rumor going around about how Ruffalo’s character fits into the upcoming Marvel movie, and while it does sound interesting, it’s also leaving me frustrated for reasons tied to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
How Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Allegedly Using Hulk
Over at The Cosmic Circus, scooper Alex Perez shared that Bruce Banner is apparently at his “wits’ end” when we reunite with him in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The events of She-Hulk and Captain America: Brave New World (both of which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription) have made him realize that his “worst fear” has come alive in the form of other people being able to Hulk out too. Banner will start out pretty stressed out when Brand New Day begins, and I have a feeling this is going harsh his Smart Hulk mellow.
While this sounds like an interesting narrative direction for Mark Ruffalo’s character, I am curious how the folks at Marvel Studios decided to delve into this in a Spider-Man movie rather than another project. Additionally, Alex Perez mentioned that the events go through in Spider-Man: Brand New Day aren’t to lay the groundwork for a new Hulk movie, but rather set up his role in Avengers: Doomsday. Admittedly, I am disappointed that the prospect of the World War Hulk movie that’s been rumored looking less and less likely, but that’s not what’s bothering me after reading this Brand New Day update.
Why This Rumored Hulk Information Is Frustrating
Let’s assume for the moment that this batch of rumored information from Cosmic Circus for the upcoming Spider-Man movie is correct. I certainly don’t mind that we’ll see Bruce Banner grappling with other people being able to Hulk out, including his old nemesis Thunderbolt Ross, who can become Red Hulk. This could even result in Banner reverting back to his classic Hulk form, though then that would mean Brand New Day is even less of a street-level story than some might’ve assumed. But that’s not what’s bothering me.
We’re now three years separated from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and there’s still been no followup on Bruce’s son Skaar, who was introduced in the series’ final episode. Bruce discovered Skaar on the planet Sakaar, previously seen in Thor: Ragnarok, but we still don’t know about the kid’s MCU origins, what he’s doing on Earth now or if we’ll even see him again. It’s one of many lingering plot threads that hasn’t been resolved since The Multiverse Saga started, and I’m annoyed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day won’t address it either.
That aside, I am looking forward to the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Spidey movie, as Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink will also appear in an undisclosed role, and Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan will finally become The Scorpion. Look out for the 38th MCU flick swinging into theaters on July 31, 2026.
