Spider-Man: Brand New Day Theory Identifies Secret Marvel Character

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Despite seeing some photos and videos since Spider-Man: Brand New Day started filming in the UK last month, we’re still eagerly awaiting answers to many questions about Spidey’s fourth solo adventure in the MCU. One of the most intriguing mysteries is who Spider-Man will be battling in Brand New Day. Possible villains like Venom, Boomerang, or Scorpion have been suggested as Spidey’s next big foe. However, images from a character moodboard created by Monica Avitto, the costume prop modeler for the upcoming MCU film, could offer a significant clue about who Peter Parker’s adversary will be this time. This hint appears to draw on one of the earliest tales in Spider-Man’s history.

In a recent post on X account @CosmicMarvel, images were shared of Avitto’s moodboard, seemingly designed for Brand New Day’s villain. These pictures included various reference materials of old Japanese armor and warriors. Keen-eyed fan @DrawsTom noted an astute resemblance between some pieces and the armor associated with Spider-Man’s lesser-known adversary, Alistair Smythe, also known as the Spider-Slayer. Throughout the history of Spider-Man comics, there have been several versions of the Spider-Slayer robots that bother Peter Parker consistently. However, Alistair Smythe stands out among these due to his memorable portrayal.

Guys I just realised it’s Fucking Alistair Smythe the Spider-Slayer

— Tom (@DrawsTom) August 13, 2025

Who Is Spider-Slayer in the Comics?

For the first time in June 1965, the mechanical foes known as Spider-Slayers appeared in issue #25 of The Amazing Spider-Man comic. These robots were uniquely designed with the sole purpose of locating, capturing, and eliminating Spider-Man. The brains behind these machines was scientist Spencer Smythe, who frequently read The Daily Bugle and shared its editor-in-chief J. Jonah Jameson’s viewpoints that Spider-Man was a nuisance. Seeking to terminate the supposed danger Spidey posed to New York City, Smythe requested financing from Jameson for the construction of these robots. Ironically, it wasn’t Spider-Man who ended up causing Smythe’s demise but rather the radioactive materials he used to create the robots, which ultimately proved fatal to him.

20 years after Spencer’s son, Alistair, initially appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man Annual” #19 (November 1985), he made his comics debut. He inherited not only Spencer’s prodigious intellect but also a burning enmity towards the hero, and he dedicated his life to eliminating Spider-Man and avenging his father’s death. However, Alistair’s attempts to vanquish Spidey left him confined to a wheelchair and institutionalized. Yet, he persisted and engineered a carapace for himself that allowed him to walk again, granted him increased strength, sharp weaponry, web-shooters similar to Spider-Man’s, as well as his own Spider-Slayer robots.

Over the last three decades, Alistair and Spider-Man have frequently faced off in comic books, providing ample content for the “Brand New Day” team to utilize if he appears in the upcoming film. Also worth noting is that due to Smythe’s association with J. Jonah Jameson, the inclusion of Spider-Slayer in the movie could lead to a more substantial and antagonistic role for J. Jonah Jameson, even though his current status as a media personality rather than a newspaper magnate was shown in “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Despite this change, J. Jonah Jameson (portrayed by J.K. Simmons) remains a persistent annoyance for Peter Parker.

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2025-08-19 01:42