Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature The Punisher, Scorpion, Tombstone, The Hulk, and more. However, even with set photos and rumours still flooding social media, it's fair to say we don't really know what to expect from any of those characters.
Well, thanks to The Cosmic Circus, we have some insights into what Bruce Banner will bring to the table when he crosses paths with Spider-Man for the first time (they've been in the same orbit as each other, but Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo have yet to interact on screen).
According to the site's Alex Perez, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will force both Peter Parker and Bruce "to come face-to-face with their own personal trauma and guilt over the events of their past as they come bubbling to the surface."
He added, "With Spider-Man, it’s about having the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of guilt he’s suppressed over the years come back out and how being Spider-Man has completely suppressed the man behind the mask."
"For Hulk, it’s similar, except it unleashes a big green monster on the rampage, angrier than he’s ever been before," Perez continued, explaining that we might see the Jade Giant "pushed to the point where he might just kill somebody."
However, those of you expecting his rumoured rampage to lead to a redemption arc for Bruce, the scooper said it's "quite the opposite" and claimed, "If what I’ve heard happens in Brand New Day comes to pass, [The Hulk] might just get hated even more."
It's interesting that Marvel Studios is using Spider-Man: Brand New Day to bring the Green Goliath more in line with his comic book counterpart. Many fans feel the character has been neutered since he became "Smart Hulk" in Avengers: Endgame, and this supposed next step in his evolution will surely end up being a big part of Doomsday and Secret Wars.
The Hulk losing his intelligence is bad news for Earth's Mightiest Heroes as they match wits with Doctor Doom. We're sure Bruce will still factor into the Multiverse Saga's conclusion, but if he's a legitimate threat as Hulk again, the "hero" becomes a combustible element no team likely wants.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings helmer Destin Daniel Cretton directs Spider-Man: Brand New Day from a script by returning Spider-Man franchise writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Tom Holland plays Spider-Man in a cast that also includes Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Zendaya (MJ), Sadie Sink, Michael Mando (The Scorpion), Tramell Tillman, Marvin Jones III (Tombstone), Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), and Liza Colón-Zayas. Avengers: Doomsday star Florence Pugh is expected to reprise her Thunderbolts* role as Yelena Belova.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.