The Hulk is set to return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and he’s going to look very different from his previous MCU appearances. It has been a few years since we last saw Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) on screen, with his most recent appearance coming in She-Hulk. However, it’s been even longer since we saw the angry version of “the other guy,” with Savage Hulk last seen taking a beating from Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. After that, Banner and Hulk merged to form Smart Hulk, but that change is seemingly being reversed this year.
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The Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer revealed Banner’s involvement, as Peter Parker goes to speak with him about the genetic mutations he’s going through. Though we haven’t seen any footage yet, it’s basically an open secret that something will happen – presumably his inhibitor device being broken – that unleashes his alter-ego. We’ve had a tease of Spider-Man vs. Hulk in artwork for the movie, but interestingly, that also teases another change: his Grey Hulk appearance [via Spider-Man News on X].
As you can see in the bottom panel of the image, Hulk’s face is shifting from its normal green color to take on a grey hue, which calls back to the character’s comic book origin.
Why Is Hulk Going To Be Grey In Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
For Bruce Banner, while it’s not easy being green, it’s even harder being grey. Way back in 1962, when the character debuted in Marvel Comics, he originally transformed into a grey giant. At the time, though, this caused difficulties and inconsistencies with the colorization, and so the Hulk was changed into being green from the second issue onward. Later storylines would attempt to reconcile this difference, even establishing Grey Hulk as a separate persona who took on the name Joe Fixit, who worked for a Las Vegas mobster.
It’s probably safe to assume that’s not the story Spider-Man: Brand New Day is telling with the character (though fair play if it is), and there are questions about what will lead Hulk to turning grey in the film. One possibility is that with the break of his inhibitor device, there are further changes/mutations that are caused by that (and by years of having limited/contained Savage Hulk) that cause his color to change. Other theories have posited he’s mind-controlled by someone like Jean Grey (if that is indeed who Sadie Sink is playing), who pushes his rage so far it transforms his physical appearance.
Whatever the cause, if we are indeed getting Grey Hulk on-screen, it’ll be a big moment and complete a change that’s over 60 years in the making. Regardless of color, finally getting Savage Hulk back is long overdue, and it’ll be a lot of fun to see him smashing things up again. Poor Spidey might be on the receiving end of some of it, but conventional wisdom suggests they will eventually team up as well, which should be good for Brand New Day.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases on July 31st, 2026.
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Forum Conversation: The return of Savage (and Grey?) Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Go to ForumWild that it’s happening in a Spider-Man movie of all things!
lol, yeah I can’t argue with any of that!
I agree with you… At the same time, what else can they do at this point? Keep using the Hulk as support for other heroes’ stories? If the rights issue is not solved, they still can make a TV show for the Hulk. Heck, I would even take an animated movie if that would mean actually using the character.