Tom Holland returns as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man when Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth film in his standalone franchise, hits theaters on July 31.
But he’s not coming to the big screen alone, right? Nope! Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will be along for the ride!
Is The Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
YES, the Hulk is back in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. After appearing in Avengers: Endgame and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law in his “Smart Hulk” form, Mark Ruffalo is back as Bruce Banner in trailers for Brand New Day.
Hulk marks the latest in a long line of major MCU heroes to share the spotlight with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Let’s break it down:
- In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker is mentored by Tony Stark/Iron Man, in a continuation of their story from Captain America: Civil War.
- In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Nick Fury (or at the very least a skrull cosplaying as Fury) hijacks Peter’s school trip and presses Spidey into service to defeat the “Elementals.”
- In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange is asked to cast a spell to make everyone forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, but things go awry and after battling and teaming up with variants from across the multiverse, Peter has to make the selfless choice to make EVERYONE forget about Peter Parker, including his love MJ and best friend Ned.
What is The Hulk’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
Peter approaches Dr. Banner at Empire State University to ask him questions about supressing mutating DNA. We learn that Banner is utilizing an inhibitor device to keep his Hulk side at bay. Banner tells Peter if he sees him without the inhibitor device he better run. Of course, naturally, that leads to a scene where Banner hulks out and does battle with Spider-Man.
Banner asks Peter about who gets decide what parts of nature are good or bad, reflecting back the notion of whether Peter gets to decide which parts of being Spider-Man are good or bad. Obviously we’ve seen the good — saving his friends from danger and helping to bring back the millions from the Blip — and the bad — having to sacrifice everything to stop a dangerous incursion. It also begs the question of whether Peter is right to make the choice of what’s right for the people he cares about and whether he’s doing the right thing in continuing to take away their own agency in the name of protecting them from the dangers of his life as Spider-Man.
How prominent will The Hulk be in Brand New Day? Hard to say, as there are plenty of plot points teased in the various trailers. I think at the very least, Banner/Hulk will be at least as prominent as Stark and Strange were in their respective films, and the film is certainly playing off a prominent comic storyline where Spider-Man fought The Hulk. But at least we know going in Banner/Hulk is along for the ride for the first time in years and appears positioned to play a meaningful role in Peter’s next chapter in Brand New Day.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day FAQ
When does Spider-Man: Brand New Day come out in theaters?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially debuts in theaters on July 31, 2026.
When did we last see Spider-Man?
The current iteration of Spider-Man was last seen in 2021’s megahit, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Who is directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who takes over from Jon Watts, who directed Homecoming, Far From Home and No Way Home.
Who plays Spider-Man?
The current iteration of Spider-Man in the MCU is played by Tom Holland, who made his debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. He previously appeared in:
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Are the Spider-Man film rights owned fully by Disney?
No, they are not. Prior to Disney acquiring Marvel in 2009, the company had sold the film rights to Spider-Man to Sony. Disney’s Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures partner on the current Spider-Man franchise, as outlined here.
Who plays The Hulk?
The Hulk has been played by Mark Ruffalo since 2012’s The Avengers. Like Spider-Man, Disney’s Marvel Studios does not have the rights to make standalone Hulk films. However, Ruffalo has appeared multiple times in the MCU including:
- The Avengers (2012)
- Iron Man 3 (2013 – mid-credits cameo)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019 – mid-credits cameo)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021 – mid-credits cameo)
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Is Spider-Man: Brand New Day connected to Avengers: Doomsday?
As always, all movies in the MCU are interconnected. However, I would note that neither Holland nor Ruffalo has been confirmed to be in the cast of Avengers: Doomsday.
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