Spider-Man: Brand New Day gave audiences eager for upcoming Marvel movies a lot to chew on, but don't expect its director to tell you what it all means. Destin Daniel Cretton is being cryptic about the secrets of the latest movie, including the significance of Hulk's son getting a sneaky cameo.
If readers totally forgot that Hulk had a son named Skarr, it's totally understandable. Those who skipped out on streaming She-Hulk via Disney+ subscription may not even be aware the character exists, as he hasn't appeared in any MCU project since. That is, until this latest movie, in which he's seen briefly in a picture on Bruce Banner's desk. Cretton was asked about it by The Wrap, and balked at saying anything beyond this:
I’m glad people are finding it.
That's such a cryptic statement that it's nearly impossible to draw any conclusions from it. Is it a nod that Skaar is going to become a part of the story, or is it more that there had to be some acknowledgement of the character with Hulk appearing? It's just a picture, but obviously, everything is done for a reason. (And if the reason was to put the pic in front of enough moviegoers to earn over $2 billion, then it was a job well done.)
Maybe it's just a reminder from Marvel Studios that they haven't forgotten Skaar, and he'll factor into a future adventure involving Hulk and others. With Avengers: Doomsday on the way, I'm sure we'll see a lot of characters in the mix, so I wouldn't be shocked if he's involved in some way, even for a fleeting moment.
Destin Daniel Cretton also wouldn't say much about the post-credits scene in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hinted that Peter was somewhere in space. Speculation right now suggests that's something that will be addressed in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars, so it wouldn't be wild to guess the Skaar picture is a hint toward that as well.
Ultimately, if it was just a nod to She-Hulk and an acknowledgement of the short-lived Disney+ series, Cretton could have just said that. His being cagey leads me to the conclusion that it is relevant to something on the horizon for Marvel, but what that means I don't know.
I will say I would love it if there was finally advancement on a potential Hulk solo movie happening. Of course, Universal still famously owns the rights to the character, and unless something has changed as of late, he can only appear as a secondary character in Marvel movies. The franchise has done a solid job of giving him a great character arc throughout various movie appearances, but it's still not the same as seeing a big feature.
Now that we have Hulk, She-Hulk, Skaar, and Red Hulk, it feels like the stage is set for a big feature. Why else is Marvel Studios loading up the MCU with Hulks? Someone has to know the answer, but all we know at this time is that we likely aren't getting the answers from Spider-Man: Brand New Day's director.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues its run in theaters, and we're left to wonder what it all means for the future. And here I thought all the big questions left to answer were concerning the arrival of the X-Men!
