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

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The story of Peter Parker’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is known for being heartbreaking, and the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home adds another layer of sadness to it. After five years, Tom Holland is back as Spider-Man, starting a new chapter for the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Peter Parker has faced incredible challenges – battling aliens and even meeting alternate versions of himself – Brand New Day returns him to his roots, focusing on protecting the people of New York.

While his next adventure will involve partnering with Frank Castle, the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), and battling villains like Michael Mando’s Scorpion, the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day will also focus on Peter Parker’s personal life. Spider-Man: No Way Home concluded with Peter making a huge sacrifice: he asked for a spell to close the multiverse portals, knowing it would erase everyone’s memories of him – including those of his friends, MJ and Ned.

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

Before casting the spell, Doctor Strange shared his plan with Peter’s girlfriend, MJ, and his best friend, Ned. Though they were hesitant, Peter assured them he’d find a way to make them remember him, and he fully intended to keep that promise, as shown at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home when he actively searched for them. However, when he finally found MJ, he hesitated, realizing she still had a visible bruise from a recent event and changing his course of action.

Even though Peter wanted to be with the people he cared about most, he chose to stay away to protect them. After what happened with May, it was clear he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for their safety. Early looks at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day footage suggest he’s continued to keep to himself.

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

Honestly, seeing the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day just made things even worse. Towards the end, we finally see Peter and MJ interact at their housewarming – it was a small moment, but so hopeful. It’s heartbreaking knowing they did briefly connect after Doctor Strange’s spell, but she doesn’t seem to remember it at all. Considering how long it’s been and all the people she’s met at the coffee shop, it’s just… crushing that she didn’t recognize him or feel anything from that encounter. It really hit me hard.

It’s currently unclear if the storyline Spider-Man: Brand New Day will eventually lead to MJ regaining her memories of Peter. However, this new direction for Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems poised to continue for at least three more movies. Marvel could build on the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home throughout these films, and delaying MJ’s memory recovery might actually create a more impactful story. That doesn’t mean Brand New Day can’t still deepen Peter and MJ’s connection – it actually offers a chance to explore a new and exciting dynamic between them.

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

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2026-03-22 15:10