Mark Ruffalo Returning as the Hulk for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
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Hulk, Punisher, and Spider-Man will finally share the screen as the next Marvel team-up takes shape for 2026.
In what promises to be Marvel’s boldest crossover yet, Spider-Man 4 — now officially titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day — will mark the return of Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, to the big screen. Ruffalo, who first joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2012’s The Avengers, will suit up alongside Tom Holland for the latest chapter in Sony and Marvel’s flagship franchise.
The long-rumored return was officially confirmed as pre-production kicks off in England this month, with plot details still under tight wraps. But Ruffalo isn’t the only surprise in the mix.
Brand New Day will also feature the return of Michael Mando as the Scorpion, the villainous alter ego of Mac Gargan. Mando’s character first appeared in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, teasing a future clash that never materialized — until now.
And that’s not all. The Punisher himself is joining the fight. Sony
Jon Bernthal, last seen wielding brutal justice in Netflix’s Daredevil universe, will reprise his role as Frank Castle for the first time in a feature film. While Castle made waves in the small screen MCU-adjacent space, Brand New Day marks the vigilante’s formal jump to the cinematic universe, his first on-screen film appearance since 2008’s Punisher: War Zone.
Adding to the excitement, Marvel and Sony dropped a teaser on August 1 — Spider-Man Day — offering a first look at Tom Holland’s new Spidey suit. The nine-second clip, shared across Marvel’s social platforms, shows a dramatic close-up of the costume’s fabric with the tagline: “Something brand new is coming.” Though brief, the teaser sent fans into a frenzy, hinting at a possible upgrade or a full redesign for Holland’s fourth solo outing.
With Hulk, Spider-Man, Punisher, and Scorpion all sharing the screen, the tone of Brand New Day echoes the spirit of Marvel’s classic Marvel Team-Up comics — stories that famously paired Spider-Man with another hero (or antihero) for short-term missions with long-term consequences.
Though official plot details remain unconfirmed, the setup hints at internal conflict before unity — a familiar Marvel formula where misunderstandings spark confrontations between heroes before a larger villain forces them to team up.
Brand New Day is being directed by Shang-Chi filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, with returning Spider-Man scribes Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers penning the screenplay. The film is slated for release on July 31, 2026.
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Ruffalo’s inclusion follows a long legacy of appearances throughout the MCU, including Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, and most recently She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. He also made a brief appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, marking an early creative link with director Cretton.
As for Mando, the Better Call Saul star built a loyal following as Nacho Varga and returns to the Marvel world with renewed intrigue, while Bernthal’s long-awaited promotion to the big screen has fans buzzing across social media.
Sony and Marvel have yet to release an official synopsis or confirm additional cast members, but with a stacked lineup and a release date locked in, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already shaping up to be the most ambitious solo Spidey movie yet.
