Technically, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk hasn’t thrown a single punch in the MCU since 2018 in Avengers: Infinity War, and it took a pair of children’s flip-flops to remind everyone he actually still can. Kidsville shared images of new sandals releases this week showing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and the Hulk fighting, complete with webbing and “SMASH!!” lettering lifted straight from a ’70s Marvel comic book panel. Are these possible spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Given the MCU’s history, it probably is.
But the sandals aren’t the only merch showing off the characters in action. A T-shirt that was shared on X via @SpiderMan_Newz describes Ruffalo’s Hulk as “The Gamma Irradiated Jade Giant” — a nickname that dates back to 1962 and has actually never appeared once in 14 years of MCU marketing. Until now. Could Spider-Man: Brand New Day finally say it out loud? The merch seems to hint at it.
What does stand out is that across multiple pieces of merchandise, the Spider-Man vs. Hulk battle keeps turning up. Hasbro’s Marvel Legends figures already spoiled major moments from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, revealing Mark Ruffalo’s return to a dangerous Savage Hulk. That should come as a welcome surprise to fans who didn’t approve of Smart Hulk, the glasses-wearing intelligent version from Endgame.
What makes all of this really exciting is the setup going into the film. It’s been four years since Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Peter is living completely alone after Doctor Strange’s spell wiped him from the memories of everyone he loves. A Japanese promotional poster reads: “No matter if no one remembers me, I’ll keep protecting.” And that’s probably how Spider-Man ends up fighting against Hulk. And maybe he’s going to need Punisher’s help to bring Hulk down.
In the comics, Spider-Man has fought against Hulk countless times before. Seeing that on the big screen could prove to be really special. And hopefully, it won’t end with Peter realising that he and Bruce both have an aunt named May and the two suddenly setting aside their differences to fight a common enemy.
If this much story is leaking through sandals and t-shirts, the upcoming trailer, reportedly dropping before July 31, is going to hit hard. And when it does, keep your ears open for someone calling Ruffalo’s Hulk “The Gamma Irradiated Jade Giant.”
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