Mark Ruffalo's Hulk has been an Avengers mainstay ever since 2012's Battle of New York, smashing up foes and proving to be one of the heaviest hitters in Earth's Mightiest Heroes all-conquering lineup.
As of right now, though, Hulk won't appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Ruffalo wasn't part of last March's hours-long cast reveal, while San Diego Comic-Con came and went without so much of a word about the Jade Giant's MCU future.
But the Hulk is in Spider-Man: Brand New Day – and at least offers somewhat of an excuse as to why Dr. Banner might not be rocking up to face Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in December's Avengers team-up.
Spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day follow…
Bruce Banner's pointed reference to his gamma inhibitor when talking to Peter Parker earlier in Brand New Day had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Chekov's Inhibitor then came into play during Jean Grey's attack on Damage Control, with the psychic being able to 'leap' into Hulk's body.
With his inhibitor removed, Hulk proved more than a match for the surprise duo of Spider-Man and The Punisher. The ensuing battle ended with Hulk falling from the building and landing in a cloud of dust below.
It's only later on do we see that Hulk – now reverting back to Banner – has survived but is in no condition to fight or do much of anything. The last we see of the good doctor is him being wheeled into the back of an ambulance to a psychiatric ward for treatment.
With Hulk taking a serious fall, as well as Banner's continued obsession with keeping the green guy under control, it stands to reason that the showdown with Spidey is reason enough to keep Hulk on the sidelines until after Doomsday.
After that, who knows? But, for now, there's reason to believe that Hulk won't be fighting fit after Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The New Avengers are going to have to deal with the Doom-shaped big potato issue without him.
For more, check out our breakdowns of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending and Spider-Man: Brand New Day post-credits scene.
