Marvel Comics has unveiled a major creative twist as it prepares to celebrate 50 years of its What If...? series, with Daredevil set to transform into a new version of the Hulk after more than six decades of the character’s history. The reimagining, titled "What If...
Daredevil's Accident Gave Him the Hulk's Powers?", explores an alternate storyline in which Matt Murdock gains gamma-powered abilities instead of his traditional heightened senses. The concept will be illustrated by Stormbreaker artist Netho Diaz as part of a commemorative variant cover release.
The artwork depicts a transformed Daredevil, visually resembling the Hulk, sprinting along a New York skyscraper while wearing his signature red blindfold. The redesign imagines his childhood accident involving radioactive material as exposure to gamma radiation—the same force that created Bruce Banner.
Marvel noted that its Stormbreakers initiative spotlights emerging artists through special projects such as variant covers, often used to test new creative directions. The Daredevil-Hulk concept will appear on select editions of Daredevil #3, scheduled for release on June 10.
The publisher has increasingly used variant covers to gauge fan interest in potential storylines, with past examples including the introduction of new teams and character redesigns. Observers say this raises the possibility that the Daredevil-Hulk concept could evolve into a full storyline if it gains traction.
Historically, several Marvel heroes have taken on Hulk-like transformations. During the 2010 “World War Hulks” event, characters such as Cyclops, Thor, Spider-Man, and members of the Fantastic Four were temporarily imbued with gamma-based powers, often resulting in aggressive behavior and altered physical forms. However, Daredevil was notably absent from that storyline.
Meanwhile, Marvel is expanding its Hulk mythology with the upcoming Hulk War: Infernal Rage, which introduces a darker narrative involving a demonic force known as the Eldest. The storyline hints at widespread transformations among major heroes, suggesting that Daredevil’s Hulk-inspired form may be the first of several radical changes in what is being described as a looming “Age of Monsters.”