The following contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New DaySpider-Man: Brand New Day is a big step forward for Peter Parker and his corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Picking up years after Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with everyone’s memories of Peter being erased by Doctor Strange, the story follows Peter’s efforts to maintain his role as Spider-Man while wrestling with his loneliness and stress.

All of this is compounded by his powers growing more unpredictable just as the mysterious Jean Grey arrives on the scene to attack Damage Control. Much of the (really fun) film is rooted in themes of vulnerability and finding personal balance, a struggle that defines Peter’s arc and is reflected in the storylines given to Jean, Bruce Banner, and Frank Castle.

It all sets up the film to have a very clear throughline about the importance of finding the right balance for yourself and your life, all while laying the groundwork for many characters’ future roles in the MCU. It even manages to do all this while giving MJ and Ned a chance to continue being in the MCU even without undoing the events of No Way Home.

MJ And Ned Don’t Remember Peter (But They Do Reunite With Him)

One of the big tragedies of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the distance that Peter Parker has created between himself, Ned, and MJ. Tragically, the situation isn’t necessarily resolved in the film’s climax, even as the trio begins the process of creating new bonds. Due to the events of No Way Home, MJ and Ned lost all memories of Peter Parker and do not regain them in the film.

There’s even a particularly cruel fake-out with Jean Grey, who briefly uses her powers to take over MJ and pretend to briefly work her way through the spell. In reality, MJ admits later to Peter that she has no recollection of him or their time together. She does find out about it after finding his letter, allowing Peter a certain sense of closure when she explains she doesn’t remember, let alone love him.

It’s a tragic beat that underscores the cost to Peter Parker that being Spider-Man has incurred, especially when Peter admits that he took away MJ’s agency and refused to bring her back into his life out of fear of losing her like he lost Aunt May. However, MJ clearly sympathizes with Peter and even begins to forge a new friendship with him.

Notably, Ned does seem to have a certain level of muscle memory with their handshake at the end of the film, indicating that there is some level of ingrained connection between the three, helping Peter allow himself to be vulnerable with friends and family again, rebuilding his relationship with both of them. This also allows MJ to still be in his supporting cast, even if Peter gets other love interests.

What Is Spider-Man’s Power Up In Brand New Day All About?

One of the big mysteries of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is what is happening to Peter Parker. Due to the constant stress and physical pressure of being Spider-Man without any time off to be Peter Parker, his altered DNA is revealed to be going into overdrive. While this gives Spider-Man enhanced versions of his powers, it’s also initially uncontrollable and tamps down his restraint.

This power boost, at the cost of Peter’s humanity, is the key metaphor of the film, literalizing his struggle to find the balance between being Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He does his best to suppress the full cost of his spider DNA but keep the parts that can help others, denying aspects of himself and almost pushing himself to a breaking point as a result.

After getting a chance to just be himself with Ned and MJ (even while masked up), Peter finally embraces both sides of himself and is able to get a better handle on his powers. This allows him to fully utilize his powers when fighting the Jean Grey-controlled Hand ninja, giving him the ability to beat them but save their lives.

It’s a big boost for Spider-Man as a character. On the one hand, it means that he gets some enhanced speed, strength, and agility to work with going forward. It also highlights how important his personal life is and why he needs to be able to embrace it along with his masked identity.

How Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sets Up Jean Grey’s X-Men Future

Jean Grey is the central antagonist of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, even if she isn’t strictly a villain. On the hunt for her sister and desperate to avoid capture herself, Jean proves extremely powerful and more than willing to use her abilities to bring down anyone who gets in her way.

However, while Spider-Man is initially positioned against her, Peter comes to regret turning her over to Damage Control and works to free her from their experiments. It’s specifically his willingness to risk his own life to protect her, coupled with memories of Aunt May’s support, that helps calm down Jean when she finds out her sister is dead as a part of Damage Control’s experiments.

The film ends with Jean helping save a wounded Spider-Man’s life after he’s accidentally shot by the Punisher before making a run for it. Her last scene sees Jean riding a bus up north. While there’s no concrete set-up for the X-Men in the film, Jean’s role in Brand New Day lays the groundwork for Jean’s role in future MCU stories.

Her venturing north could be implied to be taking her to upstate New York, which is typically the location of the Xavier Institute. Her conversation with Spider-Man indicates she has no one else in her life at the moment, something that could change if she meets other mutants. It also positions Jean as the audience POV character for the mutant corner of the universe going forward.

The Punisher Takes On A Very Different Role In The MCU After Brand New Day

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Frank Castle has typically been portrayed as a broken man in the MCU, with Punisher: One Last Kill in particular highlighting the ways that Castle is still suffering from mental anguish over the loss of his family. The Punisher of Brand New Day is very much that same character, but his confrontational attitude towards Spider-Man is played for laughs.

While the two are nominally allies in the film, they bicker and lightly fight until the climax, when Spider-Man takes a bullet intended for Jean Grey fired by the Punisher. This seems to be a real wake-up call for Frank, who brings the young hero to the hospital and waits by his bedside until he awakens so he can apologize. The film ends with Punisher and Spider-Man as clear friends.

This sets up the dynamic between the pair going forward to be much lighter and happier, while also making Punisher a much more tonally flexible character going forward. If the same Punisher who slaughtered a building full of killers in One Last Kill can help Spider-Man escape a hospital with his identity intact, then he can appear in more corners of the universe.

What Happens To The Hulk After His Fight With Spider-Man?

While the Punisher has an ultimately positive experience with Spider-Man, Bruce Banner has a much rougher time. After being targeted by Jean Grey and taken over in her efforts to find Sara, Bruce Banner’s power dampener is broken. This eventually allows the full savage Hulk to break loose, leading to a destructive battle with Spider-Man.

Hulk is positioned as a direct contrast to Spider-Man, someone who has found a way to suppress their more destructive side. However, while Peter thinks that could be useful to adapt to, it also leads to Banner losing himself and reverting into a full Hulk. In this sense, Bruce becomes a cautionary tale for Peter in the film, showing what could happen if he loses control.

The film ends with a mention of Bruce Banner, having briefly regained his sense during the fight and allowing himself to be defeated, being taken to a psychiatric hospital. It’s unknown what institution would take him in or what his status is by the end of the film, but it could become very important if the heroes need the Hulk during the events of Doomsday or Secret Wars.

The Themes Of Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is very much a movie about Peter Parker and his efforts to still be himself without being consumed by his work. People frequently joke with him about his failure to strike a work/life balance, but his fears about letting himself (or others) be vulnerable to his other life has cut off his personal growth and experiences.

Peter Parker can’t just be Spider-Man, though. It’s shown that the pure spider is a dangerous fighter who might get people killed in the crosshairs. However, Peter can’t give up being Spider-Man entirely, as trying to constrain that part of himself isn’t enough to save the day in the climax of the film.

Ultimatley, Brand New Day is all about allowing yourself to be loved. It’s what keeps Jean from becoming a monster and gives Frank a moment of peace. It allows Peter to talk to MJ and Ned again, letting them back into his life and embracing the balance it creates him. It gives Spider-Man: Brand New Day a very important modern message.