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8 years later, Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially brings back an abandoned Avenger
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.
In short
- Brand New Day revives the original "Savage Hulk" after nine years
- Character had evolved into calmer "Smart Hulk" since Avengers: Endgame
- Sets up MCU's first Spider-Man versus Hulk confrontation
Explained simply
Bruce Banner is a scientist who transforms into the Hulk, a powerful green creature, when he becomes angry. At the time of Avengers: Endgame, Banner merged his human consciousness with his Hulk side, creating Smart Hulk—a form with the creature's strength but also Banner's intelligence and the ability to control itself. Smart Hulk has been the only version of the character audiences have seen on screen since that event, roughly nine years ago in the story's timeline.
The original Hulk, often called Savage Hulk, operates very differently from Smart Hulk and is driven purely by anger and rage rather than reason and control. This uncontrolled version caused massive destruction whenever it appeared and could not be reasoned with by other characters. It has not been seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films since Thor: Ragnarok in 2017.
The upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day film is bringing back the original, uncontrolled version of the Hulk after this long absence. This marks a significant change to how the character has functioned in recent Marvel stories. The shift opens new possibilities for how Banner and the Hulk interact with other characters and what kinds of conflict could emerge.
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