Marvel confirms a major Avengers actor is joining Tom Holland's Spider-Man in Brand New Day along with a returning villain

Spider-Man: No Way Home
(Image credit: Sony/Marvel)

Tom Holland is going to be in very good company in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as seasoned MCU star Mark Ruffalo has joined the official cast as The Hulk.

Ruffalo has been part of the superhero franchise for 14 years, starring in all the Avengers movies and fan-favorite titles like Thor: Ragnarok. Last time we saw his Bruce Banner was in Disney Plus' TV series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which starred his cousin Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany).

The Hulk is not the only Marvel character returning for the upcoming Spidey movie, which is now filming in Scotland.

Along with the previously announced addition of Jon Bernthal's The Punisher to the cast, Marvel announced that Michael Mando is set to reprise his role of the Scorpion. The villain first debuted in Spider-Man: Homecoming, where he was arrested by the FBI after the Staten Island ferry incident and swore vengeance against Spider-Man. It seems like he will make good on his promise in the new movie.

This cast announcement comes on the back of film set leaks that might just have confirmed Mister Negative as the film's villain. A bystander on the streets of Glasgow spotted a heavy-duty armored truck with a red demon mark on its side that resembles the logo of the Inner Demons. A recent glimpse behind the scenes also hinted at D-list villains forming part of the film's rogues' gallery.

Tom Holland's new Spider-Man suit was partially revealed this week too, giving us some serious Sam Raimi vibes.

As filming continues, we're hoping to get even more details about the movie, which has yet to reveal an official plot. We expect the story to follow on from the events of the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Peter Parker's existence erased from everyone's minds.

Plunged back into anonymity, the New York-based superhero will focus, as Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige explained recently, on "street-level crime as opposed to world-ending events." Brand New Day also appears to be set before Avengers: Doomsday.

Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are set to reprise their roles as MJ and Ned, with Stranger Things actor Sadie Sink joining the cast in an undisclosed role.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will land in cinemas on July 31, 2026. For more, here is our complete guide to upcoming Marvel movies and Marvel Phase 6.

Mireia Mullor
Contributing Writer

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.

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