MCU’s most forgotten character gets a secret nod, says Spider-Man 4 director

If you thought hidden Marvel details were dying out, think again. The director of Spider-Man 4 has casually set fan theories ablaze after confirming a sneaky reference tucked inside the film — this one tying straight back to a character almost everyone forgot existed in the MCU.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day includes a picture of Skaar — Hulk’s alien son — on Bruce Banner’s desk, pulled straight from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

That blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment

Let’s lay it out: in one particular scene from Spider-Man: Brand New Day (that's number four in the current run, if you're keeping score), Mark Ruffalo’s Banner/Hulk makes an appearance. Up on his desk during this brief moment? A photo of Skaar, who is — and this is not a drill — Hulk’s son. In case your MCU memory is a bit patchy: yes, that Skaar, Hulk's surprise offspring announced right at the tail end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The snap itself is even recycled from that Disney+ finale.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton confirmed to The Wrap that this little detail is absolutely intentional. Cretton gave a polite nod to Marvel’s usual army of fan detectives, basically acknowledging that not much gets past them these days — even when it’s just a half-hidden prop sitting on a cluttered desk. No extra commentary or big explanations from Cretton, though; just a quick admission that, yes, it’s actually Skaar staring up from that photo.

Skaar: The MCU’s Lost Son

This all raises a few questions, mostly because Skaar is, essentially, the MCU’s equivalent of an abandoned plot thread. After Hulk shipped back from Sakaar during She-Hulk’s finale, he introduced Skaar to the whole family — single awkward scene, no dialogue from Skaar, and absolutely zero follow-up. If you recall, Skaar looked like he’d borrowed Hulk’s own gladiator kit from Thor: Ragnarok (which, by the way, was never explained either — was it laundry day for Hulk’s wardrobe?).

Since that cameo? Total silence from Marvel. Fans have spent months wrangling whether Skaar would pop up again, and, if so, where. Now, with this photo cameo in Spider-Man 4, speculation is kicking off afresh about Skaar’s future — and what it might mean for the Hulk corner of the MCU.

• Skaar only ever appeared in the She-Hulk finale before this Spider-Man 4 easter egg
• He had no lines and just stood around looking mildly confused
• His battle outfit is suspiciously similar to Hulk's gladiator gear from Thor: Ragnarok
• Marvel’s not said a word about him since