9 Years Later, Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Officially Fixing One of Marvel Netflix’s Worst Mistakes

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Before Disney+ existed, Marvel created a successful, darker corner of its universe on Netflix. These interconnected shows offered a realistic and often violent take on superheroes, a contrast to the more family-friendly movies. A key part of this success was the character Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, whose original series has now been officially recognized as part of the main Marvel story. While the Netflix shows had many wins, they weren’t perfect – some, like Iron Fist, weren’t well-received. However, the biggest mistake of this era wasn’t any single show, but how they handled a well-known Marvel villain.

Originally presented in Daredevil as a mysterious group of undead ninjas, The Hand seemed poised to become a major threat in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comparable to HYDRA. However, with each subsequent appearance, the organization lost its impact. By the time of The Defenders, its Japanese roots had been removed, its history rewritten as a breakaway group from K’un-Lun, and it was divided into five competing factions led by characters like Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver). The group’s skilled ninja warriors were also reduced to common criminals. The Hand’s plans ultimately failed in the finale of The Defenders when their headquarters collapsed, all their leaders died, and the source of their power—the Dragon’s bones—was removed from the MCU. This makes its reappearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day all the more unexpected.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Can Do Justice to the Hand 

First appearing in the 1981 Daredevil comic (#174), the Hand is a shadowy group of ninja assassins originating in Japan with an insatiable hunger for power. Originally founded in 1588 as a secret society of nationalistic samurai, they were quickly taken over by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan that worships a demonic entity called the Beast of the Hand. This entity gives the Hand the ability to resurrect fallen members as undead servants, making them one of the most formidable and long-lasting threats in the Marvel Universe for over four decades.

The Hand has a history of truly evil acts. They once captured Wolverine, brainwashed him, and used him to attack a SHIELD Helicarrier, resulting in the deaths of over 200 agents. Later, they stole the body of Bruce Banner after he died and brought him back to life as a rampaging, uncontrollable Hulk, which devastated Tokyo before Doctor Voodoo could stop it – a process that ultimately cost Banner his life. When Bullseye killed Elektra, the Hand tried to resurrect her as well, leading to a confrontation with Daredevil and the Chaste. Remarkably, Daredevil even agreed to lead the Hand’s operations in Hell’s Kitchen, believing he could minimize the harm compared to other potential leaders.

Despite having access to previous iterations, Netflix diminished the impact of The Hand villain group. Now, Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to be the first Marvel Studios production in nearly a decade to acknowledge that mistake. Trailers show red-suited ninjas battling Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in several scenes, including a prison fight, clearly inspired by The Hand from the Marvel comics. This suggests a more faithful adaptation of the villains. With ongoing speculation about The Hand’s return in Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again, their reappearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day could lead to a larger resurgence for the organization within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Even though it might require some clever storytelling to explain their return and new direction, bringing a comic-book-accurate version of the Hand into the MCU is the best way to move forward. It allows the universe to explore its more magical side and corrects a major issue from the old Netflix shows.

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

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2026-05-18 22:41