After more than four years, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has swung back into movie theaters with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth entry in his MCU series.
It picks up about four years after the events of No Way Home. The movie famously ended with Doctor Strange putting a spell on the world that made everyone forget Peter Parker existed. That included his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya).
Ned and MJ would end up going to MIT, while Peter stayed back in New York. He has been fighting crime non-stop, having no work-life balance, by the time Brand New Day begins.
He begins to experience changes in his body, and the problems are compounded since he’s going it alone. Peter is also facing a powerful threat that can use telepathy.
Brand New Day is a fresh start for the MCU’s Spider-Man series, and its ending sets up the inevitable fifth movie to be even bigger.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Did Zendaya’s MJ remember Tom Holland’s Peter Parker after the spell?
The biggest revelation comes about halfway through Brand New Day. For years, Peter has been holding on to his note that he wrote for MJ that would hopefully make her remember him.
He kept it in the same coffee cup that he got at the end of No Way Home. However, after a run-in with the telepathy-using antagonist, who was later revealed to be Jean Grey (Sadie Sink), perhaps the worst-kept secret in the MCU, Peter takes MJ to Frank Castle/The Punisher’s (Jon Bernthal) home to keep her safe.
Peter then fights a possessed Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) at the DODC. Upon returning to Frank’s house, MJ confronts him, as she read the letter, which he left out on the table.
She was upset that he didn’t reveal the secret sooner, but at the same time, she didn’t reciprocate his feelings since she doesn’t remember him. He then brings her back to her apartment, and he hangs out with Ned (as Spider-Man).
Something seems to click in this moment, as MJ can see how Peter and Ned were friends. She then discusses her recollection of being possessed by Jean, and this leads Peter to realize the head of the DODC, Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), was lying to him when he claimed he remembered parts of being possessed.
Jean Grey’s motives
At this point, Jean is being held by the DODC, and it’s revealed that she was trying to find her sister, who was kidnapped by the organization.
They are then holding her and experimenting on her. She later realizes that “V-Max” was the text on the air vent in her holding cell, and it was the last thing her sister saw before dying.
Peter tries to help her, but she refuses the help. She forces Peter to fight against possessed members of The Hand in the prison. They gain the upper hand, and that is when Peter comes to the same realization as in No Way Home — he can’t have his cake and eat it too.
He takes off his inhibitor, which was meant to suppress his mutations, and embraces his new powers. This gives him organic webs and even more enhanced strength.
Finally, he reaches Jean, who is still about to kill Bill. Jean then enters Peter’s mind, only to find herself in a loving moment with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Peter then consoles Jean on her loss while Frank tries to shoot Jean with a sniper from outside the building.
How Peter escapes the hospital
Peter intercepts, taking the bullet for Jean. He is then taken to a hospital by Frank, who stays by his side as he recovers. Jean, who seemingly flees to the suburbs (perhaps to find Charles Xavier’s school), uses her powers to keep Peter alive from afar while he was operated on.
A crowd is gathered outside of the hospital, and Frank comes up with a plan to help Peter get out. He puts on the Spider-Man mask and waves to the raucous crowd from the hospital window.
Meanwhile, Peter escapes through the crowd, though one young child does the web-slinging gesture to him. This amuses Peter, and he does it back.
The crucial final scene
Some time later, Peter goes back to the bodega he frequently shops at. He has a routine of buying flowers and going to his Aunt May’s grave.
However, this time he notices Ned sitting by himself. He approaches him, and Ned initially remembers Peter from his house party.
Peter then says his real name and begins doing his signature handshake with Ned. Ned naturally does the handshake as well, leading to it all clicking for him when he says, “Peter.”
It would appear Ned remembers Peter now, and that begs the question of whether or not MJ does too. She claimed she didn’t, but is it possible she was just upset that Peter didn’t approach her sooner? If all it took was Peter doing his handshake with Ned, it probably wouldn’t take much more for MJ to remember everything.
It’s also notable that MJ shed a tear while frozen by Jean. It isn’t explained what caused it, but it has to mean something that will likely be explained in the next movie.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in theaters.
After more than four years, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has swung back into movie theaters with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth entry in his MCU series. It picks up about four years after the events of No Way Home. The movie famously ended with Doctor Strange putting a spell on the world that made everyone forget Peter Parker existed.
