Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the latest installment in the Tom Holland-led franchise, has brought Bruce Banner and his Hulk persona back into the spotlight. However, the character's appearance in the film, while entertaining, continues a trend of inconsistent continuity that has plagued the Hulk throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In Brand New Day, Banner is introduced as a physics professor at Empire State University. Peter Parker seeks him out to discuss a gamma inhibitor, a device worn on his wrist that is intended to prevent him from transforming into the Hulk. This inhibitor was previously seen in the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and in She-Hulk, where it was damaged, leading to Banner reverting to his Professor Hulk form. The recent film introduces a new complication: when Banner's inhibitor is damaged again, he transforms into his Savage Hulk persona, a form not seen since his defeat at the hands of Thanos in Infinity War.
While the return of Savage Hulk provides an exciting action sequence, the justification for this transformation is unclear. Banner himself explained in Endgame that he had resolved the conflict between his Bruce Banner and Hulk personas, establishing the Professor Hulk state. The notes suggest that the damage to the inhibitor should not have caused this reversion, especially after a similar incident in She-Hulk did not result in the same outcome. The film does not offer an explanation, seemingly prioritizing the action sequence over character consistency. While the depiction of Hulk is praised as the best since the original Avengers film, the narrative contrivances required to reach this point underscore a long-standing issue with the character's portrayal in the MCU.
The Hulk's MCU journey has been marked by several inconsistencies, partly due to Edward Norton's original portrayal being recast with Mark Ruffalo and Universal Pictures retaining the distribution rights for solo Hulk films. This rights situation has limited opportunities for dedicated Hulk projects, forcing the character into supporting roles within other films.
Major events in Banner's development have often occurred off-screen. After establishing a new baseline in The Avengers, Age of Ultron introduced a bewildering romantic subplot with Black Widow. Later, Hulk inexplicably teleports to space by the time of Thor: Ragnarok, appearing as a child-like gladiator. His decision to suppress himself after the events of Infinity War is attributed to fear after being bested by Thanos, but the transition to Professor Hulk between Infinity War and Endgame was resolved entirely off-screen. The use of the inhibitor in the Multiverse Saga further complicates his arc, as it's unclear why he requires it if he had already achieved peace with his Hulk persona.
Furthermore, the introduction of Hulk's son, Skaar, in She-Hulk's post-credits scene raises questions about Banner's current family life that remain unaddressed in Brand New Day. These accumulating narrative threads make it difficult to reconcile the various iterations of the character.
Many of these continuity problems could have potentially been avoided had Universal allowed Marvel to produce a solo Hulk film. The character's arc feels fragmented because he is consistently shoehorned into other characters' narratives. While Marvel could have managed consistency better, the rights issue prevents Hulk from ever being the central focus of a project. This has not only shortchanged Bruce Banner but also characters like Betty Ross and Rick Jones, and even the Hulk's archenemy, The Leader, whose introduction in The Incredible Hulk was sidelined for over a decade.
Universal's reluctance to collaborate with Marvel on Hulk films is particularly puzzling given Sony's successful shared custody arrangement for Spider-Man. A similar partnership could have allowed for stronger character development and prevented some of the more awkward narrative choices. Ruffalo's long-standing commitment to the role warrants the opportunity for a solo film, but with the decision resting with Universal, fans must continue to accept the often-inconsistent portrayal of the Hulk in his supporting appearances.