'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Needs To Follow the Footsteps of This Must-Watch Marvel Movie

The 2026 movie slate is packed with both big director releases, like Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and huge franchise releases, like Avengers: Doomsday. In between those releases, many will be getting ready for the fourth entry into Tom Holland's Spider-Man saga with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. With Marvel releasing numerous behind-the-scenes looks and plot details, such as the inclusion of Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), it increasingly feels likely that fans will see a regression in the Hulk’s character arc, returning to the savage beast many of them miss. This sets up the possibility for fascinating and thrilling action scenes between Holland's Peter, Punisher, and Hulk, that could go any number of ways. However, if Marvel truly wants to nail what a savage Hulk should feel like during battle, especially against military hardware and a more nimble opponent, then they should look no further than The Incredible Hulk's university battle.

The University Battle in 'The Incredible Hulk' Throws Different Challenges at Hulk

While many will have enjoyed seeing Hulk go up against Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in multiple films, as well as Thanos (Josh Brolin) at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, Hulk's best action sequence comes in The Incredible Hulk, when General Ross' (William Hurt) forces and Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) ambush Edward Norton's Bruce Banner outside a university. While they aren't as flashy as Thor's lightning or Thanos' sheer power, this scene constantly puts up different challenges to Hulk, making the military an active threat throughout the scene. Bullets shot by M16's don't ping off him without notice; they frustrate him and act as hindrances, while the 50-caliber mounted guns force Hulk to engage rather than flee.

This action is escalated with Blonsky's grenade launcher, forcing Hulk to adopt shields as the concussive force is too great to withstand on its own, before the sound cannons actually bring the seemingly invincible Hulk to his knees. Yes, he overcomes each one of these threats, but he doesn't do it with complete ease, showcasing how powerful he is in a dynamic way that keeps the momentum shifting back and forth between Hulk and his antagonists. If he had simply swatted away the military and their weapons, it wouldn't have felt like a particularly earned victory.

'The Incredible Hulk' Effectively Frames Hulk as a Terrifying Monster

One of the main issues with the MCU's recent iteration of Smart-Hulk is that almost all the character's complexity is stripped away, making him a simple hero, whereas The Incredible Hulk makes it clear that Norton's Hulk is an antihero. From the beginning of the scene, the focus on Hulk's transformation is made to look horrific as he bursts from his clothes. When he does burst from the glass corridor, part of the debris strikes and most likely kills a soldier who is running away, and Hulk's bared teeth roar makes it clear this is a monster who cannot be reasoned with.

His lack of care for humans while defending himself, a classic antihero move since he is fighting an antagonist in the military with morally dubious methods, positions him as a destructive force, as he smashes the trucks with humans still inside them, and brief shots show people still inside as he does it, with some crawling out and others seemingly crushed. This monstrous perspective is reinforced by how Blonsky is framed as the hero of the scene.

Much of the scene is shot from Blonsky's perspective, especially when he is running away from Hulk toward the sound cannons. We aren't supposed to view this moment as a hero catching up to the bad guy, but instead, Blonsky is the victim being chased by the savage killer in the background, raising our anxiety as Hulk gets closer. When Hulk delivers the sickening kick to Blonsky, the rag-doll nature of Blonsky's body shows just how fragile humans are to Hulk, yet that doesn't make him hold back. To top this off, even Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), who is the character who most sympathizes with Hulk, is shown in several shots to have a terrified look on her face, showing how unrecognizable Banner is in this form.

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Should Take Inspiration From 'The Incredible Hulk's Best Action Scene

If Brand New Day does give fans the savage Hulk they've long desired, then The Incredible Hulk's university battle needs to be the blueprint, especially with how well Brand New Day's forces parallel those shown in the aforementioned scene. With his military training and one-man-army style, Punisher should be the one escalating the conflict with increasingly creative methods that enrage Hulk, while Spider-Man's nimble, evasive choreography would echo Blonsky's flips and spins when evading Hulk's devastating blows. Additionally, Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton needs to bring back Hulk's brutality, similar to what The Incredible Hulk displayed. Without it, the stakes will not feel high for Spider-Man and Punisher, and they risk falling into the fun but mostly comedic Hulk vs Thor fight in Thor: Ragnarok, where Hulk was still violent, but not out of control.

Whether Cretton and Marvel will go this route is something we'll have to wait and see, but it seems like the most likely path to deliver a grounded yet tense Spider-Man story. With Captain America: Brave New World bringing The Incredible Hulk back into the public discourse, it is the perfect time to look back at the Phase 1 movie for inspiration. Bringing in a truly frightening Hulk would not only lead to great action, but also a sense of risk and fear that audiences haven't felt in a long time in the MCU.

The Incredible Hulk is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.