Two months after its initial release, Marvel has finally clarified Bruce Banner's whereabouts following the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day through a post-credits scene added to the theatrical re-release of Avengers: Endgame Encore. This scene, which addresses a significant unanswered question from Brand New Day, was notably absent from the original Endgame cut.
Bruce Banner's New Containment
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Bruce Banner was last seen being taken away on a stretcher after an uncontrolled Hulk rampage at the Department of Damage Control (DODC) headquarters. His fate remained ambiguous, suggesting he was likely detained. However, the Endgame Encore re-release adds a new stinger that shows Banner in a self-designed secure facility. He claims to have developed a new gamma suppression serum and expresses confidence that neither he nor the Hulk can escape. His self-assurance is short-lived, however, as an ominous green glow precedes the appearance of an unidentified figure who declares, "I'm here to collect you." Banner is then whisked away, leaving behind glowing green runes, strongly implying his abduction by Doctor Doom.
This scene directly connects the events of Brand New Day to the upcoming MCU film Avengers: Doomsday. While neither Hulk nor Spider-Man are officially confirmed to appear in Doomsday, the scene suggests potential future roles or implications for both characters, possibly extending to Avengers: Secret Wars.
Strategic Placement and Fan Reaction
The placement of this post-credits scene has drawn criticism and speculation. Many viewers feel it would have been more logical to attach this scene to the end of Spider-Man: Brand New Day for a cleaner narrative resolution. Instead, Marvel opted to include it in the Endgame Encore re-release, which has been promoted with new footage designed to draw audiences back to theaters.
Critics suggest that this strategic decision might be an attempt to boost ticket sales for Endgame Encore, rather than serving the narrative flow of either film. The inclusion of this scene, along with other new post-credits sequences in Endgame Encore that hint at Doomsday and the TVA, adds connective tissue for the next major MCU events. The oddity of the Banner-Doom scene's placement, however, leaves many questioning Marvel's decision-making process, with some theorizing that the Doomsday creative team may have conceived this tag after Brand New Day was released and quickly produced it for the Endgame re-release.