One of the most intriguing aspects of Bruce Banner’s character in the MCU is that he has not one, but two distinct personas: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Throughout films like Ragnarok and Infinity War, it was clearly established that these two identities are separate consciousnesses with separate memories.
However, by the end of Avengers: Endgame, Bruce Banner successfully integrated these two personas into Smart Hulk, a form that combines Bruce’s intellect with the Hulk’s strength. Since that integration, the Savage Hulk has remained dormant, leaving many fans wondering: where is that primal personality now? Is it sleeping? Is it trapped somewhere in Bruce’s mind? And if it were to be awakened, would it retain its own memories independent of Bruce’s?
At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange cast a memory spell that erased everyone’s knowledge of Peter Parker’s true identity. However, this memory spell was fundamentally designed to affect memories and consciousness. The screenwriters have suggested the spell works through “magical redaction,” rewriting reality itself to erase evidence of Peter Parker’s existence as a public figure.
But here’s the question: would this memory-based spell affect a dormant gamma-irradiated consciousness like Savage Hulk? If Savage Hulk exists as a separate entity with separate memories that is buried deep in Bruce’s psyche, there’s a legitimate argument that the spell might not reach it. Essentially, if Savage Hulk was deep enough in hibernation during the spell’s casting, he might have been protected from its effects—meaning he could potentially still remember Peter Parker as Spider-Man.
If the Savage Hulk does indeed return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and he still remembers Peter Parker’s secret identity, it would create a unique dynamic. Peter would be facing not just a physically powerful ally, but one of the very few people who still knows his true name. This could be either a threat or an unexpected advantage—Savage Hulk’s knowledge of Peter could complicate the plot in unexpected ways.
Moreover, if this theory holds true, it would answer one of the biggest lingering questions from No Way Home: how will Peter operate as Spider-Man when literally everyone has forgotten him? Having at least one being who remembers his identity could be the narrative key to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Whether Savage Hulk becomes Peter’s unlikely ally or his worst nightmare, his preserved memory of Peter Parker’s identity adds a fascinating layer to the film’s story, making him far more than just another powered individual for Spider-Man to fight.
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