Does Hulk Remember Peter Parker After the World Forgot Spider-Man’s Identity?
Marvel fans have been chasing one specific question ever since ‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ rewrote reality four years ago, and it has resurfaced hard with ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘ now in theaters. Does the Hulk still remember that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, even though the rest of the world had that knowledge erased.
‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ famously ends with the world collectively forgetting about both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, to the extent that even Peter’s closest friends, MJ and Ned, have no memory of him whatsoever. That gut punch of an ending left a lingering fan theory that just would not die, and ‘Brand New Day’ finally seems ready to address it.
The Hulk Memory Theory Explained
The idea that Hulk might be immune to Doctor Strange’s memory spell did not come out of nowhere. This has precedent in the comics, and in the ‘One Moment In Time’ arc, elements of which were adapted in ‘No Way Home,’ Doctor Strange casts a spell to make everyone forget Spider-Man’s secret identity after it was accidentally revealed to the world.
The comic version of this story does not end there either. In ‘Immortal Hulk Great Power’ Number 1, which came after the wall crawler had made a deal with the devil Mephisto to make the world forget Spider-Man is Peter Parker, it is revealed that Hulk still remembers, even though Bruce Banner does not.
Fans latched onto this because Hulk is not just another side character in this conversation. Hulk is also the only one to remember Sentry after Strange, at Sentry’s request, asked that memory of him be erased to protect his friends from the potential emergence of The Void. That gives the character an established comic book pattern of dodging these exact kinds of memory wipes.
Tom Holland’s Comments on ‘Brand New Day’
Speculation turned into something much more concrete once Tom Holland himself weighed in. Tom Holland teased that one person will remember Peter Parker in the next Spider-Man movie, and comic fans think they know exactly who it is, pointing straight at the Incredible Hulk, specifically the big green guy and not Bruce Banner.
Holland also opened up about how the production tackled the tricky logistics of a world that forgot Peter Parker. He explained it was a creative challenge that presented some logistical issues, describing how the team landed on the idea that people remember Spider-Man and remember their interactions with him, they just do not remember who he actually is. That distinction matters a lot for how ‘Brand New Day’ handles its central mystery.
Holland even teased a small detail about Ned’s arc under this new status quo. One of his favorite personal details is that Ned is trying to figure out who Spider-Man is because he wants to thank him. It is a strange, almost bittersweet touch for two characters who used to be inseparable.
Savage Hulk Returns for ‘Brand New Day’
Part of why the theory gained so much traction is tied to how Hulk himself is being portrayed in the new film. Hulk’s reported involvement in the next Spider-Man movie gives Marvel the perfect opportunity to make this popular fan theory come true, and the theory has also received a boost with confirmation that Savage Hulk is returning in ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day.’
That shift matters because it separates Hulk from Banner again in a very literal sense. Rather than Smart Hulk, who was the fusion of Banner and Hulk, this reverts to the idea of them being separate, making it more plausible that the other guy does indeed remember who Peter is.
The trailers have not made things any less murky either. The first trailer for ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ brings Tom Holland’s Peter Parker back into action, and with his body now changing, Peter seeks out help from Bruce Banner, who is in fully human form again instead of the green yet literate Smart Hulk seen in ‘Avengers Endgame.’
There is also chatter around a leaked line of dialogue that fans think confirms someone else entirely knows the truth. The leaked Brand New Day trailer had dialogue that backed this up, with someone who sounded like Jean Grey seemingly confirming she knew Peter and Spider-Man were one and the same person, though that line was never actually released, so it remains to be seen if it made the finished film. That has left the door open for more than one candidate.
Who Else Might Remember Peter Parker
Hulk is not the only name being floated by fans trying to solve this puzzle before the credits roll. Some have suggested Wong could know, or that Steve Rogers might, since he was in an alternate timeline when the spell was cast, though there is no sign of either character even being in the movie.
It is also worth remembering that the movie has a packed roster of villains who could complicate the mystery even further. Brand New Day has a lot of villains, and one of them might have been able to uncover the information on their own.
Bruce Banner’s reaction in the film’s marketing has only added to the confusion for casual viewers trying to piece this together. Bruce Banner did not recognize Peter in the movie’s trailer, but when Hulk takes control that might change. Whether that flip actually happens on screen is still one of the film’s most talked about mysteries.
With ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ finally answering some of these questions on the big screen, which theory do you think nailed it, Hulk quietly holding onto the truth this whole time, or someone else entirely stepping up to remind Peter who he really is.
