Did Hulk remember Peter while Bruce forgot? Fans spar over Spider-Man: No Way Home spell

There’s very little Marvel fans love more than a good mystery, especially one the studio never bothers to explain on screen. The latest debate making the rounds concerns Doctor Strange’s big memory-wiping spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Only, for once, nobody’s fussing over Peter Parker—at least not directly. This time, it’s all about the Hulk (of all people), and whether the green bloke could still recall our friendly neighbourhood wallcrawler even if Bruce Banner has forgotten the lot.

One widely shared Reddit thread kicked things off: 'Does Hulk REALLY Remember that Peter Parker is Spider-Man??'

Right, it’s a bit convoluted on the surface, but stick with me. The spell, as you’ll remember, wiped every living soul’s memory of Peter’s very existence. Banner was in human form when it happened. Now, because Banner and Hulk typically share their memories (especially after their personalities merged), many fans reckon the spell just blitzed both of them at once. But here’s where Marvel obsessives come into their own: the argument is that Hulk’s various incarnations might make things a bit spicier.

Which Hulk are we talking about?

The theories mostly split along the lines of which Hulk we’re dealing with. The current MCU version is ‘Smart Hulk’ (or Professor Hulk, if you’d rather), who’s got Banner’s brains and the body to match. In this case, the consensus is that both halves—the man and the monster—should have their minds wiped at once; after all, they’re one and the same up top these days. 'If Banner forgets, Hulk forgets'—no arguments there.

But throw in the classic ‘Savage Hulk’—more childlike, more instinct than intellect—and things get murkier. Some reckon that, while Savage Hulk might lose the actual memory, there could still be some sort of gut feeling or emotional echo left behind, as if he sort of ‘knows’ Peter, without remembering why.

Comics vs. MCU logic

For anyone shouting ‘but in the comics—!’, yes, there’s a precedent over in Marvel’s print universe: at one point, Hulk did claim to remember Peter even after Banner forgot him. But fans are quick to point out that the MCU does not play by comic rules. Ever since Banner and Hulk merged in Avengers: Endgame, he hasn’t exactly been the rage monster with a vendetta anymore. He’s… well, he’s a bit of a cuddly scientist, isn’t he? The merged brain makes it simpler: a universal clean slate, no secret pockets of memory hanging about.

Also—worth mentioning—Hulk hardly knew Peter in the films to begin with. When Thor: Ragnarok happened, Hulk spent his time on Sakaar, nowhere near Peter’s world. And once Banner got the Hulk under control, merging minds and all, he’d still barely crossed paths with Spidey as a separate entity. No great history between them; no reason for the spell to glitch.

Smart Hulk and Bruce Banner likely lost their memory of Peter Parker at the exact same time, since they now share one mind in the MCU.

As always, it comes down to which version of the character we’re talking about and whether you subscribe to comic logic or Marvel Studios’ ever-evolving canon. One thing’s for sure: Marvel aren’t rushing to clear any of it up on screen.