After 9 Years, Hulk Has Lost His Place As The MCU’s Strongest Avenger

Published Jul 19, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a pale imitation of what it was back in its initial phase, where everything was extraordinarily simple, pulpy, and fun, and Hulk has arguably had the worst development of any founding Avenger in the last 18 years. This is especially disappointing because Dr. Bruce Banner’s Hulk was the second character to receive their own movie, The Incredible Hulk, which came shortly after Iron Man, and the MCU hasn’t known what to do with him since The Avengers. For example, Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Hulk and Black Widow romance never went anywhere, Thor: Ragnarok was a lousy Planet Hulk adaptation, Avengers: Infinity War has Hulk cower away inside Bruce, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law reveals that Hulk has a teenage son who we’re probably never going to see again. Hulk has had some excellent moments of hype and aura in the MCU, but Spider-Man: Brand New Day is potentially going to be another sad reminder that the gamma-radiated World-Breaker rarely wins a fight. Hulk Hasn’t Been The Strongest Avenger For A While, If Ever Hulk hasn’t won a fight in the MCU—a legitimate one, anyway—since he defeated Fenris on Asgard’s Bifrost Bridge in Thor: Ragnarok. It’s become a meme at this point, essentially, with how lackluster and weak Hulk seems in comparison to other contemporary iterations of the character, let alone how menacing or powerful Hulk was at the beginning of the MCU. Hulk’s heart wasn’t in the Thanos fight in Avengers: Infinity War, and you’d be hard-pressed to find fans who are more satisfied by Hulk’s character as Smart Hulk than by his character in any of the previous movies, but he’s been fairly one-note regardless. It’s not even necessarily Hulk’s fault, as it’s impossible to make Hulk a rampaging monster who’s leveling buildings and obliterating city streets in every new movie or TV show with zero repercussions. Still, the MCU has gotten scarily accustomed to nerfing Hulk, rather than buffing him. Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Hulk At His Best, But Is That Enough? Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to win his upcoming fight in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, either. We don’t yet know why Spider-Man feels as though he must fight the Hulk (maybe he learns that the mysterious telepath who may or may not be X-Men’s Jean Grey, played by Sadie Sink, is inhabiting Banner). Still, we do know that he and Punisher will first fight Hulk when he’s Smart Hulk, and the fight will soon escalate to where he’s transformed into a monstrous, raging Hulk once again. Here, we get to witness the death of Smart Hulk (a permanent death, hopefully) and the rebirth of the MCU’s Savage Hulk. To be fair, losing to Peter Parker would be nothing to dwell on for too long since Spider-Man is one of the toughest opponents Hulk will have ever fought, especially if Spider-Man is still imbued with organic webbing and whatever other power upgrades he receives as a result of his newfound mutation—a rebirth of his own in Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s story. It’s incredible seeing Hulk ensnared in webbing and having those strands literally cutting marks into his flesh as the rubble and debris that the webs are connected to weigh him down. And, if it’s true that there’s a scene where Punisher carries Spider-Man’s body into a hospital, maybe there’s hope left that Hulk will actually win the fight. If Hulk can defeat Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be the best PR for the character in almost a decade. Either way, it’s great to have a Hulk back who is genuinely intimidating, and it’s anyone’s guess where he’ll go from here in the MCU. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 31, 2026. Release Date July 31, 2026 Runtime 150 Minutes Director Destin Daniel Cretton Four years after No Way Home, Peter Parker lives alone, forgotten by everyone he loves, and devotes himself entirely to being Spider-Man. As crime escalates, he experiences a dangerous physical change that threatens his survival. At the same time, a mysterious surge in criminal activity introduces a powerful new enemy. Writers Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee Producers Amy Pascal, Kevin Feige, Rachel O'Connor, Avi Arad Prequel(s) Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man Main Genre Superhero Executive Producer(s) David Cain, Louis D'Esposito Studio(s) Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures Distributor(s) Sony