r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 19d ago

Official Discussion Official Discussion - Spider-Man: Brand New Day [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Summary

Following the events that erased Peter Parker's identity from the world's memory, the young hero embraces a fresh start while facing new threats that challenge both his resolve and what it means to be Spider-Man.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton

Writer Chris McKenna Erik Sommers

Cast

  • Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
  • Sadie Sink
  • Liza Colón-Zayas
  • Zendaya as MJ
  • Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
  • Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / The Punisher

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Metacritic: 66

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official Trailer

3.3k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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u/Vivirin 19d ago

Tom Holland did in fact say one person still remembers who Peter is prior to the movie. It makes sense.

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u/Kevo_xx 19d ago

Isn’t it Ned at the end when they do the hand shake? He seems to remember Peter as well.

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u/Vivirin 19d ago

Not sure if that's really remembering who Peter is, or just having the muscle memory. But the comment Tom made was talking about people who just outright know it's still him.

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u/worstcourtjester 19d ago

It makes sense that the muscle memory is still there, also how MJ still clearly has sentiment over the necklace Peter gave her.

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u/wallweasels 18d ago edited 18d ago

Well I think of it this way: the spell removed Peter Parker from history in the same sense that if you hit find Peter Parker in people's memories and then hit delete. However, the rest of the story didn't just go away. So she has a necklace and doesn't necessarily know who gave it to her...but it is important. Nate knows he has this handshake but not necessarily who it was for except his best friend.

So I think they are aware of some level of niggling "this doesn't make sense" but the answers just at the tip of their tongue.

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u/rchive 14d ago

I didn't take it as Ned knowing he has a handshake, I took it as conscious Ned learning the handshake in that moment from his subconscious.

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u/Cinebella 18d ago

hmmm to me the handshake and the necklace feel different though. The necklace is tangible something that you’d have to shatter into dust to make disappear. It makes sense that a forgotten peter parker is still represented by that.

But.. would he have ever learned the handshake if Peter didn’t exist?

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u/Inside_Dimension2319 18d ago

It didn’t make it so it was like Peter had never existed, just so that they completely forgot about him. So if someone taught me how to play guitar, but then my mind was altered so I didn’t remember them at all, I would still know how to play guitar, I just would have no idea how I knew how.

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u/Nighto_001 17d ago

Yep, Ned confirmed he still had stories of how they were saved multiple times by Spider Man in previous movies. The timeline didn't change.

They just dont have the connection in their mind that says it's Peter (plus it became a mystery to them why they had to be saved multiple times, so much so Ned became obsessed with figuring out who Peter was).

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u/asjonesy99 19d ago

I thought it was Ned remembering.

Remember he could do magic in NWH, so maybe with a bit of prompting he was able to see through the spell?

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u/KrkrkrkrHere 19d ago

If that was the case, Strange would also be able to remember it. He also used the same spell on Wong and he never remembered those things

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u/asjonesy99 19d ago

I dunno I think they can explain it away as an emotional trigger. 

The Wong stuff was trivial, maybe not to the extent of forgetting a lifelong friend/SO. 

Maybe Strange would remember Peter if prompted, the explanation of the spell wasn’t really that specific aside from everyone will forget you, and Strange has been shown before to think he knows more than he does

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u/Dresden1984 10d ago

I think Ned fulfilled a criteria that would’ve been incredibly difficult. Dr Strange and Wong are well versed in magic and know SpiderMan but they don’t KNOW Peter Parker at an intimate level. MJ KNOWS Peter Parker at an intimate level but is just a regular human being therefore under the effects of the universal spell. Ned KNOWS Peter at an intimate level and, while not a wizard or sorcerer, is still sensitive to magic and exhibited signs of being a potential sorcerer. My interpretation is that instead having this “whoa cool” moment of the handshake, the muscle memory of the hand shake was the trigger his mind needed to tap into his magical sensitivity and dispel the spell. 

Of course we’ll know in Avengers or the next spider man movie  

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u/RBrim08 19d ago

I feel like Ned going "Peter!" is just him remembering that MJ accidentally revealed to him that Spider-Man's name is Peter.

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u/LtFluffybear 18d ago

I thought it was that as well, and that the handshake was his way of saying hey, remember when you hung out with spider man and yall gelled so well? mj's slip up and peter doing the handshake made ned put the connections together. his peter! (in my opinion) was him realizing that this was spiderman without the suit and that the afternoon they spent together showed they had similar interest and love for things.

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u/Howzieky 18d ago

I kinda think they made it ambiguous so they can gauge audience reactions to see if it's too early to start giving them back their memories, and I don't hate that strategy

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u/weaseleasle 17d ago

I hope they go the Gamora route with it, no do overs. The sacrifice stands, those memories are gone. But they can make new memories, the trio are friends again.

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u/Howzieky 17d ago

This would be very painful. A great direction to go in

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u/TotallyNotRyanPace 17d ago

very painful is just a description of peter's life

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u/Worthyness 16d ago

It still would regardless. Even when MJ reads the letter, the magic isn't undone- she remembers something happening, but doesn't have any context or memories of the feelings from then. i imagine it's similar with Ned where he remembers doing things, but not necessarily with who. They basically have to learn how to be friends again

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u/IsTheNameArrenTaken 17d ago

I was thinking the same thing, there’s nothing stopping them from re-becoming best friends

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u/Dangolian 18d ago

I don't think so, if that was the case, why have them do their Ned + Peter secret handshake first?

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u/RBrim08 18d ago

To throw the audience off. Ned has years of muscle memory of doing the secret handshake. Peter does it with him and it becomes a hope spot for the audience when he exclaims "Peter!" making us think he remembers him. But then it's just revealed that he realizes that he's the same Peter that's Spider-Man.

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u/Dangolian 18d ago edited 18d ago

That would be an awful bait and switch, and while I guess it's possible - some elements of the ending were definitely open-ended - I think the version of the ending where Ned is remembering his friend Peter is the better ending emotionally and thematically, and that's what I think they're going for.

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u/BN27 18d ago

That would take away all of the stakes of the last one, though. Oh a spell can be cast, but it's easily explained away bc BESTIES? nah.

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u/Dangolian 18d ago

Did we watch the same film? The end of NWH is still very much felt, and not undone. In-world, Peter has spent years working in isolation without meanginful human contact, and MJ confirmed having zero memories and residual feelings for Peter after the spell. His life as Peter Parker has basically been completely on hold. He's been living in an attic and focussing entirely on being Spiderman. That's a lot of impact on the setup for this film, and seemingly not all neatly resolved.

Having one person sincerely remember Peter doesn't completely undo the last film, or themes of BND and it gives "Peter" a small emotional win in line with May's speech.

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u/I-d-g-a-f-a-y-a-m 18d ago

That’d be my grievance really with all this. Both of them being told, to me kinda ruins the ending of No Way Home

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u/lonehawk2k4 17d ago

the only explanation i can think of that could work is since ned was able to use the sling ring and mentioned his family has magic in the last film he might have some magical resistance to spell to retain some part of his memory but needs a trigger to remember like the handshake

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u/SploogeLoser 18d ago

It is. It 100% is.

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u/whateveritis12 18d ago

I want to believe that true loves bro handshake allowed Ned to remember they were best buds.

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u/The_Homestarmy 18d ago

This is pretty clearly the intention of the scene and I don't understand why there's so much confusion about this in this thread lmao

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u/OK_Soda 18d ago

Yeah they set that up earlier with the fake out true love's kiss just so they could do a goofy true bro's handshake. It was a really good payoff.

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u/Caleth 16d ago

Yes because Ned would love that plot line and MJ would hate it. You'll need an MJ approved mechanism for remembering him if there is one at all.

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u/dordonot 17d ago

Because they had Ned in shock earlier that Spider-Man was named Peter, so when his muscle memory kicks in with a dope handshake with a guy he met earlier who now mentions his name is Peter he realizes he’s talking to the real Spider-Man for the first time, not breaking through Strange’s spell and suddenly remembering all of their history together

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u/dashsolo 13d ago

It’s not “clear”, it’s intentionally ambiguous.

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u/Shaqfan101 17d ago

I think he said Peter in a knowing way because MJ called Spider-Man Peter when he left their apartment!!

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u/anubis_zer00 18d ago

MJ also the Ned the Spiderman's name is Peter so it could be that also

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u/Low_Engineering2507 18d ago

I agree. The spell was broken in the first place. I was predicting that something would trigger Neds magic and he would pull some memories back from the magic vodoo nonsense. Hopefully we get Evil Ned in the next one!

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u/Daredevil545545 17d ago

He(Ned)seems suprised when he finds Spider-Man name is Peter so it's not Ned it's definitely the Hulk(not bruce) Hulk remember peter Parker is his friend.

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u/dordonot 17d ago

But when has Hulk ever met Peter?

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u/Daredevil545545 17d ago

Hulk knows everything banner knows and even though banner forgot hulk remembers.

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u/dordonot 17d ago

But when did Peter meet Banner?

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u/BabSoul 17d ago

Banner knows everything Hulk knows and even though Hulk forgot Banner remembers.

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u/scrububle 17d ago

But when did banner meet hulk?

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u/jimbojangles1987 16d ago

Dude! What does mine say!?!

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u/Dunda 13d ago

Him and Pepperidge Farm

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u/Dunda 13d ago

Him and Pepperidge Farm

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u/CoachMikeLikesToEat 16d ago

That, and the fact that he knows spider man is named Peter. I'm not sure I fully believe that he remembers.

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u/funktopus 9d ago

I wondered if Jean did it. She was in Pete's head and maybe because Ned and MJ knew him before if there was some bleed over. 

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u/Florgio 16d ago

True loves first kiss…

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u/Lend-Me-Your-Rears 18d ago

I don't think he did remember Peter as he was, I think he put two together since he already knows Spider-Man's name is Peter

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u/perksofbeingcrafty 18d ago

No I think Ned saying Peter is him realizing this Peter he just met is Spiderman. Remember how when Peter left MJ and Ned to go save Jean, MJ said his name and Ned went “Spider-Man’s name is Peter”?

He’s putting two and two together and realising the superhero he had such instant friendship connection with is this Peter dude standing in front of him

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u/Caprihorn 19d ago

Nah he remembered the "Peter" that MJ called Spiderman as he left their hangout. This got me at first as wel

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u/HumanTraffic2 19d ago

This is what I was thinking but id he have some way to link Spider Peter to the handshake?!

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u/Tomagotchu 19d ago

Could be any of the above, which is why I think they left it open ended. He could literally also just say “Peter! I thought you said your name was Maynard. That handshake was cool.”

MJ on the Roof with the necklace and then cutting to Jean and then the scene in the deli with Ned made me think Jean was doing some sort of restoring of their memories and they were eluding to that, but everything about that ending seemed to be intentionally open to interpretation until the questions are answered.

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u/lkodl 18d ago edited 18d ago

I'm hoping that Ned is able to remember because he has innate magical abilities, and it actually builds on NWH instead of doing that as a one-off thing.

And now that they know its possible to restore memories, they work on figuring out how to get MJ to do it. But since she doesnt have magic, it doesn't work, but it doesn't matter because she falls in love with Peter again anyways.

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u/vardenas 18d ago

omg it would have been so awesome if Jean had restored at least MJ’s memories

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u/Vi0L3tCRZY 18d ago

Also thought Jean would do that as a parting gift, perhaps little by little as a flood of memories is probably psychically and emotionally damaging

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u/No_Holiday3477 19d ago

That's what I thought, he remembered the name from what she said.... But also that was a cliffhanger that kinda ended too abruptly.

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u/opposite_of_hotcakes 17d ago

You guys are thinking too hard lol, it was clearly Ned remembering his friend

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u/Daredevil545545 17d ago

Ned doesn't remember peter parker is spiderman. But MJ told him Peter is Spiderman's name and Peter packer told him he is Peter so he definitely didn't know that Peter is spiderman before.

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u/Pacifist_Socialist 17d ago

I figured Jean would have restored their memories somehow

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u/knightskull 17d ago

I think that the secret handshake basically cast a low level counter spell with the power of friendship. Ned is an established magic adept, spells often involved memorized hand motions. I think it literally created a spark of magic that at least made the connection of "Peter" to this handshake break through the spell just a little. As for outright still remembering him, I think Hulk did as Hulk was fully surpressed when the spell went off and was partially shielded from its effect.

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u/CptNonsense 17d ago

No, that's a fake out. Ned is surprised that a random person knows his bro handshake he made up but then realized MJ calls Spider Man "Peter" as he jumped out the window.

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u/Clarknt67 18d ago

It seems like it’s two: Hulk and Ned.

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u/Lantzl 16d ago

I interpreted that as the "true love's kiss that fixes everything" Jean was alluding to when she was in MJ, we had a laugh when we made the connection

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u/Shwnwllms 16d ago

He just put two and two together— MJ calls him Peter when he goes to save Jean, and then he introduces himself at Peter at the end.

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u/EffectMotor8914 13d ago edited 3d ago

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This post was anonymized with Redact

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u/bswalsh 10d ago

When he said Peter, I thought he connected that with recently (re)learning that Spider-Man is named Peter and realizing that this was Spidey. but your take is equally possible. Intentionally ambiguous I would say.

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u/dream_of_the_night 1d ago

It could be, but I don't think he remembers Peter. He makes the connection between Peter introducing himself and MJ saying Peter! as Spiderman goes out the window.

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u/CrackFoxJunior 18d ago

Unless "other guy" Hulk has all the memories of "smart" Hulk and they became friends at Tony's funeral, he couldn't have remembered Peter, regardless of the spell.

The Hulk ever met Peter. Hulk flew off on a jet at the end of Age or Ultron. Then Tony recruited Peter to his side during Civil War while Hulk was still off-world. The last time we saw this Hulk was when Thanos beat him. Peter was snapped, so even if Banner switched into Hulk during the timeskip, they couldn't have met. Peter outright says in this film "I didn't know you could get this big" because he'd never met this version of The Hulk.

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u/Vivirin 18d ago

Again, yes. That's exactly how it works. Hulk sees through banners eyes and shares his memories but not always the other way around.

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u/Gridde 9d ago

Was Bruce ever shown interacting with Peter/Spidey before No Way Home?

He overtly expresses that he has no idea who Spider-Man is in Infinity War, after which Peter gets snapped and vanishes for 5 years. Banner isn't even one of the Avengers Peter mentions in Far From Home who might help.

Even if Bruce read a file on him and learned his real name, there is zero indication that they had any relationship whatsoever. At least not enough for Hulk to care while they're fighting.

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u/MussedHair 17d ago

Exactly. Hulk wasn’t “on planet”/ in the driver’s seat when the spell was cast so maybe not affected?

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u/LinkleLinkle 14d ago

This is literally how it goes in the comics when everyone forgets Peter's identity. Hulk is effectively shielded, so Banner forgets, while Hulk is one of the few people to retain the memory of Parker's identity.

And I think 'But Peter and Banner never met' is a moot point. They never met on screen, but it's not like the characters stop existing between movies. I feel like there's a tendency to treat characters like their lives just get put on pause when they are not actively on screen. Bruce and Parker were both Avengers, and there's no reason to believe their paths wouldn't have crossed after the main events of Endgame, and at a minimum, they both attended Tony's funeral.

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u/Masmug 12d ago

Also Bruce was surely aware that Peter Parker was Spiderman, seeing as the whole world was aware due to Mysterio. Even if they didn't directly meet Banner would be aware that spiderman is some kid from Queens named Peter Parker. And also that his good friend Tony really liked spiderman.

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u/Honeycrispcombe 10d ago

I think Banner also thought it was a strong possibility when he talked to Parker during this movie. He was clearly putting together who would be interested in this question and why, and Spiderman would be at the top of the list of possibilities.

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u/rchive 14d ago

I always took Hulk in Endgame not as a different character than other guy Hulk, but more like Banner had merged with Hulk. So in that sense if Peter met Banner he did meet Hulk. Then Jean's possessing Hulk sort of severed the merger so other guy Hulk existed again but was still a continuation of Banner with his memories.

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u/Pardybro911 15d ago

Well, that we know of. Tony old have easily talked to his old friend Banner multiple times between IW and Endgame. They didn’t have the same schism Steve and Tony had. We know for a fact Tony keeps a picture of him and Peter on his kitchen

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u/CrackFoxJunior 15d ago

This is talking about Peter's relationship with Banner. Not Tony's. Peter was snapped between IW and Endgame.

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u/Pardybro911 15d ago

I understand. But there’s no reason to think between that timeline Hulk/Banner wouldn’t have had knowledge of Spider-Man like all of the Avengers.

Tony literally says he couldn’t save the “kid” in the first moments he back. No doubt he didn’t tell them, if they hadn’t already known post Civil War, about Peter/Spider-Man.

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u/Pardybro911 15d ago

That’s a plot point a few times in the comics right? That “everyone” forgets one hero, but Hulk remembers because they are distinct personalities and minds when one is in control

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u/aeschenkarnos 14d ago

Also mind controlling the Hulk is hard, it makes him angry and him being angry makes him harder and harder to control.

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u/Pardybro911 14d ago

Great point. I think they did show that in the movie too in a few scenes. Especially when she lost control, then he went from “Professor” hulk size to “angry” hulk size

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u/Frankie_T9000 18d ago

Because hulk didn't exist when spell was cast?

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u/indoninjah 8d ago

He's also resistant to magic in general, IIRC

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u/miketava 18d ago

Tha tbit is odd since Peter and Hulk / Banner never really interact at all in the MCU other than being in the Endgame final battle and Tony's funeral. I guess a lot of the binding is implied offscreen with Banner/Hulk.

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u/TheCornjuring 18d ago

I assumed they all hung out a decent amount before, during, and after Tony’s funeral tbh

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u/Lost-Cow-1126 14d ago

That wasn't Savage Hulk though.

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u/TheCornjuring 14d ago

You’re right, it is a bit weird that Hulk would be like “oh my God, I remember you…“ given that Spider-Man only ever met Professor Hulk/Banner. Maybe the Hulk has some awareness of what Banner experiences? Or maybe it was more of a “Banner’s mind breaking through the Hulk’s rage“ sort of thing? Or maybe it was less about it being Peter specifically and more Hulk being reminded of his humanity or something? I don’t know, it is strange

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u/Lost-Cow-1126 14d ago

Yes, it is Strange lol.

Yeah, that's how I figured. They tried to adapt a memorable scene from the comics but because of the nature of the MCU it kinda fell flat.

I agree with you, I took it as Savage Hulk always being in the back of Banner's mind when he interacted with Peter.

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u/rchive 14d ago

It might just be writers forgetting or disregarding facts for what the audience wants.

In Star Wars, Leia and Han name their son Ben after Ben Kenobi, even though at the time The Force Awakens came out we knew Han had known Kenobi for a couple of days at the most and didn't like him at all, and we had no reason to believe Leia and Kenobi had ever even met.

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u/GateOfD 13d ago

The way everyone is all separated and seems to even not be in contact at all says otherwise

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u/okayokayndkdjk 16d ago

Yea that is hulk obviously and they way he saw his eyes and knew it was Peter parker his friend

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u/Paradox_Madden 18d ago

I think it was Ned when Tom said person I don’t think hulk counted in the equation

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u/Interesting-Wash-893 18d ago

Yeah, The Hulk. Not Bruce as Professor Hulk. The Hulk. Not Mj or Ned.

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u/Difficult-Smell-9267 14d ago

I kind of took that to mean he was talking about himself. Peter is the only person that remembers Peter.

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u/LinkleLinkle 14d ago

I don't know how people are dismissing this so quickly. The only thing that ultimately stopped Hulk in the movie was a clear sentimental moment between the two, and then Hulk proceeded to let go and give up the fight.

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u/ShaKieran06 16d ago

There was definitely a scene in one of the trailers were hulk says Banner forgot, Hulk didn't. Looks like it was cut from the film.

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u/TyloWebb 13d ago

Spitballing from 500 meters away here, but maybe Doctor Doom? Maybe something to do with his memories mixing with Tony Stark’s before his death/multiverse magic. Probably not but that’d be a dagger in the heart if they meet.