The MCU Just Unleashed the Most Powerful Hulk Ever (Not Even Savage Hulk Stands a Chance)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s Hulk has been in a strange place for a couple of years. Losing to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War really does a number on the hero, so much so that he refuses to come out when it’s time to fight the Mad Titan again. Bruce Banner makes a bold move by putting his brain into the Hulk’s body, which pays off when he uses the Nano Gauntlet in Avengers: Endgame to undo the Snap. But that’s the last time Hulk really makes an impact in the MCU, as he’s been treading water for a while. Fortunately, things are starting to look up for the strongest there is.

2026 will be huge for Hulk because he will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day alongside the titular hero and the Punisher. All the reports indicate that a certain version of the character from the comics will finally make his live-action debut and wreak havoc. If that comes to fruition, it’ll be great to see the Hulk let loose once again. However, he won’t be able to claim the title of most powerful because the MCU just introduced a variant that will never be topped.

Hulk Gets a Major Upgrade in Marvel Zombies

Earth-616 has it pretty bad when it watches half of all life disappear, but that’s small potatoes compared to what Marvel Zombies‘ world is dealing with. A quantum virus turns most of humanity into undead monsters, and Scarlet Witch only makes things worse by building an army hellbent on seizing control of the world. Kamala Khan sets out to send a signal into space that will contact the Nova Corps, which has the means to rectify the situation. Roadblock after roadblock presents itself, though, and by the time her group reaches New Asgard, nearly all hope is lost. Fortunately, the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj relight the fire when they explain that Bruce Banner is still fighting the good fight.

Spider-Man reveals that, when he, Scott Lang, and T’Challa arrived in Wakanda after the start of the spread, zombie Thanos was waiting for them and got hold of all of the Infinity Stones. To avoid an even worse catastrophe, Black Panther sacrificed himself to destroy both the Mad Titan and the gems. The unintended consequence of T’Challa’s action was a massive energy surge that threatened to wipe out the planet. Banner offered to absorb all of the energy, which removed his personality entirely. All that remains is an incredibly powerful version of the Hulk that Scarlet Witch intends to use as a power source. While the former Avengers gets her wish, that doesn’t change the fact that Infinity Hulk could probably beat anyone on an even playing field.

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Savage Hulk Will Have to Play Second Fiddle to Infinity Hulk

The biggest test of Infinity Hulk’s power comes when an undead Thor comes looking for a fight. Of course, the God of Thunder beats his friend from work in Thor: Ragnarok, only for the Grandmaster to stop the fight before his new champion can finish the job. Well, Hulk gets his revenge in Marvel Zombies when he gives Thor, who is wielding Stormbreaker, a good beatdown, something not even Thanos was able to do. The Hulk even crushes Thor’s head for good measure, but he doesn’t pay attention to the rest of his surroundings, allowing the Scarlet Witch to get close and touch him. While it’s unclear what becomes of Banner’s alter ego after that, he’s probably gone for good because he’s just too powerful, and the MCU can’t have that version running around while it’s trying to fix the original’s image.

All signs point to the Savage Hulk making his MCU debut in Brand New Day, likely being unleashed by a villain to distract Spider-Man from their real goal. The appeal of Savage Hulk is that he’s mindless, willing to smash anything in his past because that’s all he knows how to do. It’s surely going to take quite a bit of effort to bring Brand New Day‘s Hulk down, but not more than Infinity Hulk deals with. After all, it takes a special kind of hero to force a villain to raise an army as formidable as the one Scarlet Witch puts together.

Marvel Zombies is streaming on Disney+.

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