A new Spider-Man: Brand New Day action figure description appears to spoil the return of the Hulk, and it raises a big question about what Marvel is doing with Bruce Banner after Avengers: Endgame.
The description says Bruce Banner uses an inhibitor to keep himself in human form “since the events of Endgame,” but the wording skips over She-Hulk, where Banner already used the inhibitor, had it break, returned as Smart Hulk, and introduced his son, Skaar.
So is Marvel ignoring She-Hulk?
Note: Spoilers follow
Hulk Returns In “Feral” Form
The description tied to the Spider-Man: Brand New Day Hulk figure says:
“In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Bruce Banner uses an inhibitor that keeps him in human form since the events of Endgame. But this constraint has its limits: the film marks the return of the Hulk in his feral form, a departure from the Smart Hulk of previous films. Banner and Peter Parker, both grappling with an uncontrollable transformation, find themselves in a narrative parallel at the heart of the film.”
Per previous reports and rumors, Marvel appears to be bringing back the more savage version of Hulk, which fans have wanted to see again for years.
The description also suggests Bruce Banner and Peter Parker will mirror each other, with both dealing with transformations they cannot fully control, which was teased in the trailer.
The Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer already showed Mark Ruffalo back as Banner wearing what looks like the inhibitor, so the toy description lines up with what Marvel has teased.
She-Hulk Gets Skipped Over
What stands out is what the description does not mention.
She-Hulk already addressed Banner using an inhibitor. In the first episode, the device breaks after Banner and Jennifer Walters crash. Banner later appears as Smart Hulk again, and by the end of the series, he introduces his son, Skaar, who has not been seen since.
Now Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to be saying Banner has been using the inhibitor since Endgame.
Why would Banner need to keep himself in human form if he already solved the Hulk problem in Endgame? Why would the inhibitor still be part of his story after She-Hulk? And why is Skaar seemingly nowhere to be found?
Marvel could explain it in the movie, but right now it looks like Brand New Day may be smoothing over She-Hulk and resetting Banner closer to where general audiences last remember him from Endgame, as they never watched She-Hulk on Disney+.
Marvel May Be Moving Past Parts Of Phase 4
This also fits with the rumors that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios may be ignoring or downplaying certain post-Endgame movies and Disney+ shows.
She-Hulk is not the only example. The Eternals have also been missing in action, despite the movie ending with major unresolved threads. The giant Celestial in the ocean was finally addressed in Brave New World, but the characters themselves have not returned in any meaningful way.
Marvel built a lot after Endgame, but not all of it stuck with audiences. Now, with Avengers: Doomsday on the way, the studio may be trying to refocus the MCU around characters and storylines fans actually care about.
Bringing back feral/savage Hulk instead of keeping Smart Hulk front and center would fit that approach.
Endgame Is Back In The Spotlight
The timing is also worth noting.
Marvel is bringing Avengers: Endgame back to theaters in September ahead of Avengers: Doomsday in December. Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in July, which means the movie could help set the table for the next major Avengers event.
If Marvel is using Endgame as the real jumping-off point again, it makes sense why the Hulk description points back to that movie instead of She-Hulk.
The question is whether Brand New Day will explain what happened to Banner after She-Hulk, or if Marvel is simply ignoring it and moving on.
