Spider-Man: Brand New Day Makes No Way Home’s Ending Even More Brutal (& You Missed Why)

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Beyond his next mission, however, which involves teaming up with Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher and fighting at least Michael Mando’s Scorpion, Spider-Man: Brand New Day also puts a spotlight on Peter’s personal story. Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with his ultimate sacrifice, where he willingly had a spell cast to close the multiverse portals but would also have the rest of the world forget about him — including MJ and Ned.

MJ Met Peter Parker At The End Of Spider-Man: No Way Home (But She Didn’t Recognize Him)

Before Doctor Strange moved ahead with the spell, Peter told his girlfriend and best friend the plan. While they had their reservations, he promised that he would find them and make them remember him. He had every intention of fulfilling that promise, with Spider-Man: No Way Home ending with him seeking MJ and Ned. That said, instead of doing what he was supposed to do, he backed up when he saw her bruise from the incident still fresh.

Despite his desire to reconnect with the only support system that he had left, Peter decided that it was best to stay away to keep them safe. Considering what happened with May, it made perfect sense that he was willing to do this for all the loved ones he had left. Seeing the first footage of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it looks like Peter has maintained his isolation since then.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Has MJ Forget Peter Parker Twice

As if that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer further twists the knife. Towards the end of the promotional video, Peter finally gets the chance to have some kind of interaction with MJ during their housewarming party. Although the pair has already had an interaction in the aftermath of Doctor Strange’s spell. Granted that it has been so long since then and she would have come across so many people in the coffee shop where she was working, the fact that nothing even stood out to her about that meeting is still utterly devastating.

Whether Spider-Man: Brand New Day ends with MJ finally remembering Peter is uncertain at this point. This fresh era of Peter’s story in the MCU is likely going to last another trilogy. Marvel Studios can stick to the consequences of Spider-Man: No Way Home for the entirety of its duration, resulting in a more satisfying payoff if they delay the revelation. This doesn’t mean that Spider-Man: Brand New Day can’t evolve Peter and MJ’s relationship. In fact, it has the unique capability of developing something different between them, which poses an interesting future for them.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026.

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