Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been turning some heads with recent cast announcements that the likes of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Michael Mando’s Scorpion will appear. Of course, the biggest star, literally, of the MCU slated to appear is Mark Ruffalo’s Incredible Hulk, seemingly setting the stage for the Wallcrawler to take on the green goliath. Should this confrontation take place, the fourth of the Tom Holland Spidey series needs to rip the band-aid off and introduce a new persona of the Hulk’s to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s time for Joe Fixit to arrive.
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To start, let’s do a deep dive on the story of Joe Fixit, a Hulk like no other. First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #324, this new iteration of the behemoth had a keen intellect versus his “savage” self while being far more likely to be found in a casino rather than stomping around the desert. When the Incredible Hulk first debuted, he was grey, but eventually was changed to green as issues went on. Writer Peter David, Joe Fixit’s creator, created a canon reason for this, imagining that Fixit might have been the one to pop up first from Bruce Banner’s shattered psyche due to the gamma explosion. After spending years as the one and only Hulk following Banner getting hit by another gamma bomb, Fixit would merge with the Savage Hulk and Bruce Banner to create “The Professor,” aka the “Smart Hulk.”
Ever since this appearance, Banner has been swapping many different Hulk personas depending on the comic book creative team handling the Marvel powerhouse. Most recently, Fixit appeared in Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk comic book run, given a fresh coat of paint after being trapped inside Banner’s body. Currently, a new kind of Hulk has taken the reins in the latest comic book series, dealing with far more horrific threats, but we have to imagine that Joe Fixit is still bubbling beneath the surface.
Why Would Joe Fixit Work in Brand New Day?
So why on Earth is a big, grey Hulk perfect for a more “grounded” Spider-Man film? As unbelievable as it seems, Joe Fixit is the most “grounded” Hulk there is. Rather than attempting to be left alone and/or fight intergalactic threats, Fixit is more akin to a mob enforcer than anything else. Should he be unleashed on New York City, Spidey would need to fight him as more of a criminal element rather than a world-ending threat. Granted, he still has the strength of a Hulk, but Joe Fixit throwing his lot in with whoever will be the main villain would make a lot of sense.
There’s another good reason as to why Fixit would work better than his savage counterpart, as Joe Fixit is the weakest of the Hulks in the strength department. While the Grey Hulk has a keen intellect and murderous intent that make up for his lack of power, it would make him an easier opponent for Peter Parker to tangle with. In the comics, a major example of Fixit’s lack of strength was in Incredible Hulk #350, wherein it was revealed that he was weaker than Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and had to use his brain and ruthlessness to defeat the Fantastic Four member.
Fixit would also work to help shine a light on Banner’s personality if handled right. During writer Paul Jenkins’ run on the Hulk, the writer introduced the idea that various aspects of the Hulk were created based on different time periods in Bruce Banner’s life. The Savage Hulk was his childhood, the “Smart Hulk” was his adult years, and Joe Fixit represented his rebellious teenage years. With Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk never getting his own film, this supporting role could help crack open Banner’s psyche through the eyes of Spidey. To say nothing of the fact that a “Criminal Hulk” would also put him in the sights of Frank Castle, adding some serious spice into the mix.
How Do You Introduce Joe Fixit?
Of course, you have to think that the MCU will make changes to Joe Fixit should he actually be introduced in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Hitting Banner with a gamma bomb, for example, might be a little tricky considering the movie appears to take place predominantly in New York City. Enter a rumored villain who might be making an appearance, Mr. Negative.
Martin Li has become a major Spider-Man villain not just thanks to the comics, but also due to the role he played in the two PlayStation Spider-Man games. One of the powers that Mr. Negative is known for is transforming people he touches into his followers, holding a mental sway over them while giving them a far more distinct look. It’s feasible, that if Negative makes contact with the Hulk, he could create a new form of Joe Fixit, introducing him to the MCU while also giving this Hulk the gangter aesthetic that reflects his comic book origins. We have to imagine that this introduction would also work as a nice challenge for Mark Ruffalo, as playing a giant Al Capone-style gangster would be tons of fun for the thesbian.
Want to stay in the loop when it comes to Spidey’s next movie and all future adventures involving the weirdest Hulk of all time, Joe Fixit? Follow along with ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things Marvel and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
