Spider-Man: Brand New Day Adds Avenger and a Big Villain Reveal

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has officially started production, revealing the new suit in a short video and two key casting announcements. The first one is Mark Ruffalo reprising his role as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. One of the original Avengers and one of the few originals still around, the character last appeared in the MCU show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. For over a month, Ruffalo's return as Hulk was rumored, but today, The Hollywood Reporter officially confirmed it. Bruce Banner/Hulk's inclusion will likely be similar to that of Tony Stark/Iron Man, Nick Fury, and Doctor Strange in the previous MCU Spider-Man movies. Despite Banner seeming to have control of the Hulk in Avengers: Endgame and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it seems as if Hulk will go back to his berserk ways, with The Hollywood Reporter revealing, without giving much of the plot away, that Spider-Man, Hulk, and Punisher will likely clash before the real mastermind is revealed. Scoopers on Twitter have hinted at an insane fight sequence between the three characters at some point in the movie.

Speaking of villains, it was also revealed that Michael Mando will finally play Scorpion. A villain long overdue for a live-action Spider-Man movie, Scorpion is a villain who has ties to J. Jonah Jameson in the comics and is one of Spider-Man's most dangerous villains. His original identity, Mac Gargan, appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming as a criminal arrested by Spider-Man during the hero's confrontation with Vulture on the Staten Island Ferry. In the mid-credit scene of the same movie, he asked Vulture, when he came to jail, if he knew who Spider-Man was, but Vulture refused to reveal it. Before the multiverse plotline of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans expected Scorpion to be the villain of the movie to try and get revenge on Peter now that he would know his identity, but it never happened. Fans feared Gargan’s desire for revenge on Spider-Man would be another forgotten mid-credit scene that would never get answered.

Many years later, and after Doctor Strange made the universe forget who Peter Parker was, he likely still wants revenge on Spider-Man, as the spell did not make people forget about Spider-Man and his past actions. Considering the character's history with Jameson in the comics and other Spider-Man media, it's likely JK Simmons will return as the loudmouth host of The Daily Bugle, but it's not confirmed. The big question, though, is whether Scorpion is the only villain or is someone else with more influence and power pulling the strings. Mr. Negative has been another villain rumored for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Perhaps it will be Mr. Negative and his power to corrupt others that makes Banner lose control and transform into Hulk. According to GamesRadar+, set photos revealed by Twitter users show the logo of the Inner Demons gang. If Mr. Negative is in the movie, it's currently unknown who is playing him and when we will get a casting announcement.

Ruffalo and Mando join Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Jacob Batalon, and Liza Colon-Zayas in the movie. It's still unknown as to who Sadie Sink and Liza Colon-Zaya will be playing and if Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will have big or small roles as MJ and Ned, since they still forgot who Peter is. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently scheduled for July 31, 2026, and is the last MCU movie scheduled before Avengers: Doomsday. What are your thoughts on Hulk and Scorpion confirmed for Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Are you excited? Let us know in the comments below.