Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to continue the storyline of No Way Home, when Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) reality-altering memory spell erased Peter Parker (Tom Holland) from Earth’s collective memory. Set years after that shocking conclusion, Brand New Day follows Peter operating in total anonymity, until his body begins to change, with the potential development of organic webs. Joining him is Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who in the trailer wears an inhibitor device that suppresses his gamma-irradiated alter ego. The Hulk can’t be contained, though, as marketing pieces and even official merchandising have seemingly confirmed the MCU return of the Savage Hulk. The Hulk’s comeback can also perfectly fit the narrative of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as a recurring fan theory might prove to be true.
The theory posits that the Savage Hulk persona could bypass Doctor Strange’s spell. While the memory spell successfully rewrote the social fabric of the MCU, it specifically targeted the consciousness of the world’s population. In the case of Bruce Banner, the “Smart Hulk” persona of Avengers: Endgame might have been susceptible to the magical manipulation. However, if the Savage Hulk functions as a separate entity with its own distinct set of memories, the emergence of this beast could lead to the first instance of someone recognizing Peter Parker by name, effectively initiating the collapse of the universal amnesia. This theory finds considerable weight in the history of Marvel Comics, where the Hulk has frequently served as a biological outlier to global psychic events.
In Marvel Comics, the Hulk Remembers What Everyone Forgot
Image Courtesy of Marvel Studios
The concept of the Hulk retaining forbidden knowledge is a well-documented phenomenon within Marvel Comics, most notably explored during the launch of The Sentry by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. That miniseries reveals the world had been forced to forget the existence of Robert Reynolds, a hero whose very existence threatens the stability of the planet. While the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe, including Reed Richards and Tony Stark, were completely oblivious to their former ally, the Hulk remained the sole individual who maintained a subconscious connection to the “Golden Man.” This precedent established that the Hulk’s mind operates on a frequency that is fundamentally different from human cognition, often allowing him to perceive truths that have been intentionally hidden or erased.
More recently, in the pages of Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1, the character explicitly addressed this ability. During a conversation with Peter Parker, the Hulk revealed that while Bruce Banner had forgotten Spider-Man’s secret identity following the events of One More Day, the Hulk himself did not. His statement, “Banner forgot. But I don’t forget,” serves as a definitive confirmation that the Hulk’s memory is immune to the types of reality-warping bargains and spells that typically govern the rest of the universe.
Furthermore, the Hulk possesses a secondary ability known as astral perception, which allows him to see ghosts and mystical projections that are invisible to the naked eye. This talent was born out of Bruce Banner’s childhood trauma and a deep-seated fear of his father’s spirit, leading the Hulk to develop a sensory defense mechanism that can pierce through illusions and magical veils. Over the decades, the Hulk has frequently interacted with the astral form of Doctor Strange while other heroes were completely unaware of the sorcerer’s presence. In the context of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this specific power set could be used to address the lingering effects of the No Way Home finale. The MCU has largely treated the Hulk as a physical powerhouse, but his transition back to a savage state offers an opportunity to explore these more mystical facets of his unique physiology.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 31st.
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