The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to bring back the classic "Savage Hulk" for the first time in nine years in the upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day, marking the return of an incarnation of the character largely absent since Thor: Ragnarok in 2017. The shift matters because Bruce Banner's Hulk had spent the intervening years evolving into "Smart Hulk," a calmer, more articulate fusion of his two personas, meaning fans have not seen an uncontrolled, rampaging Hulk on screen in nearly a decade.

According to Polygon, the character's arc saw him defeated by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, before merging with Bruce Banner off-screen to become "Smart Hulk" in Avengers: Endgame, aided by a wrist-worn Hulk Inhibitor Device. Trailers for Brand New Day suggest Banner has now used that same device to revert permanently to human form, warning Peter Parker "if you see me with this off, run" — setting up what could be the MCU's first ever Spider-Man versus Hulk showdown, and New York's first major Hulk rampage since the Battle of Sokovia roughly 13 years earlier in the story's timeline.