The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is definitely Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will continue the narrative of Tom Holland's Peter Parker and his friends. And a set photo from the blockbuster confirmed Ned's future after No Way Home's ending. Let's break it all down.
What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is limited, but set photos and footage from exterior shots have made their way online. One group photo from Twitter shows Jacon Batalon wearing an MIT shirt, seemingly confirming that he (and presumably MJ) got to attend that institution after all. It looks like Doctor Strange's memory erasing spell really did pay off for Peter's friend and girlfriend.
After Peter Parker's identity was revealed during Far From Home's credits scene, much a big plot line in No Way Home was the public hating Spider-Man and thinking he was a murderer. This affected his future, as well as that of Ned and MJ. That's why he sought out Doctor Strange to perform his spell, but ultimately went wrong and started the movie's main multiversal story.
Despite how much Peter loves MJ and Ned (and vice versa), the guilt about preventing them from attending MIT drove him to drastic measures. The end of No Way Home saw the entire world forget Peter, including his friends. And Tom Holland gave a particularly heartbreaking performance when running into his former loved ones.
It's rumored that Jacob Batalon and Zendaya have smaller roles in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which makes sense given how the last film ended. I'm eager to see if Peter is keeping tabs on his former friends, and watching them live their best lives at MIT. Of course, I have to assume that eventually the truth will come out and they'll be involved in the mysterious story of Destin Daniel Cretton's blockbuster. Although exactly how that happens remains to be seen.
Production on Brand New Day began August third, so they're a month and change into filming. Tom Holland shared a look at the set, and footage of exterior shots being filmed have made their way online. Still, there are more questions than answers about what exactly the cast and crew have up their sleeves.
Despite this, anticipation is definitely building. Fans are curious about who Sadie Sink will play, and are also eager to see Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo as The Punisher and The Hulk respectively.
All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we get some more information about its contents as production continues.
