The trailer of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ presents a shocking twist in a very quiet manner. Bruce Banner is no longer the composed, well-balanced, Smart Hulk that fans have become accustomed to.
Rather, he is back to something much weaker. Now, he is just Bruce. And frankly, it does not seem like a mere downgrade. It feels like a warning.
Bruce Banner’s Human Return Feels Like A Warning Sign
Following the happenings of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’, Bruce appeared to have finally found peace, combining brains and power into a single stable identity. It was as much control as the character could have. So why walk away from that?
The trailer alludes to a choice. Bruce seems to be choosing between humanity and power, with a new inhibitor device keeping his Hulk side at bay.
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Maybe it’s exhaustion. Maybe it’s fear. Or perhaps, years of destruction have made him just desire a life that is not centered on being a weapon. Something very human in that decision. Wanting less chaos. Wanting quiet. Wanting to just exist. However, in the Marvel universe, such decisions do not often go unpunished.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Sets Up A Dangerous Hulk Reversal
The most interesting thing about this shift is what it may result in. Since it has never been effective to suppress the Hulk, it has merely postponed the inevitable. And in case ‘Brand New Day’ is experimenting with Peter Parker’s identity, Bruce may be the darker side of that conflict. Peter is bending more towards being Spider-Man, allowing that part of him to dominate.
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Bruce, however, is doing the opposite; he is pushing Hulk down, locking it up, and acting as though it is not a part of him anymore. That opposition is deliberate. And maybe a little tragic. Since there is one thing we have learned about Hulk over the years, and that is: the more you attempt to bury him, the more he resurfaces.
There have been rumors and early indications that the uncivilized, uncontrollable form, the Savage Hulk, might make a comeback. Not as a hero, not as a balanced force, but as something much more volatile. When that occurs, it will not be a mere physical change. It’ll be emotional. Painful. Messy.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ may be a story of responsibility with Peter as the protagonist. However, with Bruce, it may be a story of denial. And how fleeing to be what you are can sometimes make something much more dangerous. Because the Hulk was never truly gone. He was just waiting.
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