Brand New Day Just Found The Perfect Replacement For The Lizard

Thanks to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The MCU has found an interesting – albeit fitting – replacement for the Lizard. The Lizard occupies an interesting place in Spider-Man’s world, as he’s far more than just another member of the wallcrawler’s rich rogues’ gallery.

Despite his flaws, his human alter ego, Curt Connors, is a valuable ally and close confidante to the character.

The Lizard technically exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to Spider-Man: No Way Home bringing the version seen in The Amazing Spider-Man over to Earth-616. But just as it was with the other villains and two Peter Parker’s, the Lizard was more of a guest character for the film, rather than a new addition to its universe.

As it stands, Earth-616 doesn’t have its own incarnation of the Lizard, and it’s unclear if the MCU has any intention of changing that in the near future. But after the release of the highly-anticipated and long-awaited trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s apparent that the MCU isn’t in desperate need of one.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Positions The Hulk To Replace The Lizard

The Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer confirms that Peter Parker will turn to Bruce Banner for scientific advice regarding his abilities. This mirrors the relationship Spider-Man had with Curt Conners, who worked as a professor. Spider-Man often sought Dr. Connors’ expertise as a scientist, not only to help combat specific threats but also to understand his own powers.

One such instance of this came in the early 1970s when Spider-Man famously grew four arms, and needed help from Dr. Connors to remove them. Spider-Man’s issues in the trailer, and decision to turn to Dr. Banner for help, is reminiscent of that classic dilemma from the Silver Age, as well as other power-related problems he’s had in the past.

From the looks of things, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner will fill a similar role as Curt Connors, acting possibly as a mentor in the field of science and as a source of help in Peter Parker’s life as Spider-Man, which is not something he often had in the classic comic books. Traditionally, Spider-Man is a loner without many allies in the superhero world, making Dr. Connors his go-to confidante.

As a story that’s taking Spider-Man through a “rebirth“ that doesn’t involve the Avengers and the other heroes he was surrounded with in his previous MCU appearances, giving Peter a character in the mold of Dr. Curt Connors feels like an appropriate move. And in the absence of the Lizard himself, Bruce Banner feels like the best candidate for that, and not just because of his scientific knowledge.

Bruce Banner’s Hulk Transformation Makes Him Even More Similar To The Lizard

Bruce Banner’s own struggles draw him even closer to the role played by the Lizard in Spider-Man comics. When not helping Spider-Man, Dr. Connors was fighting against his monstrous side, which was often unleashed at the most inopportunine times, which frequently complicated the challenges Spider-Man was embroiled in.

It’s quite possible the MCU will move in the same direction by having Banner become the Hulk again. The trailer doesn’t reveal if the MCU will revive Banner’s Hulk transformations from before he became Smart Hulk, but it’s hard to imagine the MCU utilizing Bruce Banner without making use of any version of the Hulk.

In this respect, the MCU has the building blocks for an excellent replacement for the Lizard. Via the help he can offer Peter Parker through his brilliant mind, and the problems he can inadvertently cause as the Hulk, Bruce Banner can go a long way toward making Spider-Man: Brand New Day feel like a great throwback to Peter’s Silver Age adventures.