Spider-Man Villain Officially Confirmed to Return in ‘Brand New Day’ Alongside Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk

Mark Ruffalo is officially coming back as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, in the upcoming Sony and Marvel movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This will mark Ruffalo’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe 14 years after he first appeared as the Hulk in The Avengers. Rumors about his return had been around for some time, but it became official as the script was finalized and production started in England this August.

Alongside Ruffalo, Michael Mando is also confirmed to return as the villain Scorpion. Mando first played Scorpion in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, which kicked off the current series of Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland.

Fans have been waiting for news about Scorpion’s return, and it was actually rumored almost two years ago, but now it’s official.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man series. It is co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios and will be distributed by Sony Pictures. This film is the fourth Spider-Man movie in the MCU after Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. It also counts as the 38th movie in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The movie is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who also worked on previous Marvel projects. The script is written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the same writers behind the earlier Spider-Man films. Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker, with Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Michael Mando also starring.

Sony began planning a fourth MCU Spider-Man movie as early as August 2019. Producer Amy Pascal revealed in late 2021 that this film would start a new trilogy of Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland. The writing team came back on board by early 2023, and Cretton was hired to direct by October 2024. The official title, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, was announced in March 2025.

Filming started on August 1, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. The production used the working title Blue Oasis during filming. Brett Pawlak returned as the cinematographer, having worked with Cretton on several previous projects. Some scenes were shot in famous Glasgow spots like Merchant City, George Square, and Trongate. These locations are standing in for New York City in the movie. Tom Holland expressed excitement about filming on location again, saying it reminded him of shooting Homecoming, since No Way Home mostly used soundstages due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Set photos from Glasgow showed armored vehicles with a red demon logo. Reports noticed this and suggested it might represent the Inner Demons gang, who in the comics are led by the villain Mister Negative. This has led to speculation that Mister Negative could be part of the new film.

Most of the studio work for Brand New Day is happening at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.

Before the official announcements, Ruffalo’s involvement was hinted at when an artist accidentally revealed some pins related to his character.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to be released in the United States on July 31, 2026. It will be part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, continuing the story of Spider-Man and his world.

News reported by THR.

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