Marvel Studios
This article contains SPOILERS for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has finally swung into theaters. Easily one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first live-action Spider-Man film in four years, following the box office smash hit, Spider-Man: No Way Home. It not only marks a new chapter in the MCU's Spider-Man saga, but is also the penultimate film before Avengers: Doomsday, which looks to reshape the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is filled with Easter Eggs from Marvel Comics history, past incarnations of Spider-Man, and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. These include some hidden Marvel heroes hiding in plain sight, abandoned plot threads from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4, and Peter Parker's place in the wider MCU. Here are the biggest Easter Eggs from Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
E.V.
Spider-Man might not have Stark technology anymore, but he still has his own personal A.I. assistant. Here, her name is E.V., a character with no overt basis from the comics. E.V. is voiced by Naomi Watts, best known for her roles in Mulholland Drive, The Ring, and King Kong. In 2022, Naomi Watts expressed interest in playing an MCU villain to impress her kids. Being the voice of Spider-Man's computer is pretty cool, but maybe in the future E.V. could evolve into a villain, granting Watts her wish.
Officer Jean DeWolff
FX/HuluJean Grey is not the only Jean in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as the movie marks the feature debut of Officer Jean DeWolff, one of Spider-Man's most notable allies in the comics. Here she is played by Liza Colón-Zayas, best known for playing Tina Marrero on The Bear. Jean DeWolff was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema and debuted in Marvel Team-Up #48 (August 1976).
Jean DeWolff is Spider-Man's police contact, often filling a role similar to Commissioner Gordon in Batman stories. Jean DeWolff meets a tragic end in the comics, with her death ultimately setting the stage for Eddie Brock to become Venom. Hopefully the MCU movies go in a different direction for her character in future entries.
Someone at Marvel Studios Really Likes 'The Bear'
Hulu/FX
Hulu/FX
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
FX
Liza Colón-Zayas' role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks the fifth time the MCU and the hit FX series The Bear have shared actors. Jon Bernthal, who appears as The Punisher in Brand New Day, plays the deceased brother Mikey on The Bear through flashbacks. Ebon Moss-Bacharach, who plays Ben Grimm / The Thing, famously plays Cousin Ritchie on the FX series. Captain Marvel star Brie Larson guest starred in The Bear Season 4 as Francine Fak. Liza Colón-Zayas would actually have been the fifth actor to appear in both The Bear and an MCU movie if Ayo Edebiri had stayed on board for Thunderbolts*, which she was forced to drop out of due to scheduling conflicts.
Bellevue Hospital
Sony Pictures ReleasingWhen Jean Grey attempts to free Scorpion, she sends the helicopter transporting him to Bellevue Hospital, a real New York City hospital. Bellevue Hospital is the oldest public hospital in the United States and is often associated with the treatment of mentally ill patients. It is also an important one within the pages of Marvel Comics, having been referenced in Marvel Mystery Comics back in 1940. It has since been featured in many Marvel Comics, including Daredevil, The Punisher, and X-Men, all characters referenced or featured in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Callback to Sam Raimi's Canceled 'Spider-Man 4'
Sony Pictures ReleasingSpider-Man: Brand New Day is the first time a live-action Spider-Man series has gotten a fourth film. For years, fans lamented the loss of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4. Raimi originally intended to open his Spider-Man 4 with a montage of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man bringing in a few of his villains, including The Shocker, the Prowler, and Mysterio, the latter of which would have been played by Bruce Campbell.
Brand New Day actually pays homage to Raimi's plans for a fourth Spider-Man movie, opening with a montage that catches audiences up on what Peter Parker has been up to over the four years since Spider-Man: No Way Home. This includes fighting many of the less well-known villains, like Tombstone, Tarantula, Boomerang, Ramrod, and one heavy hitter in the form of Scorpion. It may have taken 15 years, but a Spider-Man 4 that began with a montage of Spider-Man fighting many of his classic foes finally made it to the big screen.
Recreated Covers
Since the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, audiences have known the movie would recreate some of Marvel's most iconic covers. Most of these take place during the movie's opening montage. Brand New Day recreates six classic Marvel Comics covers. These include:
- The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (August 1962)—Spider-Man's iconic first appearance.
- The Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1971)—Tarantula fights with Spider-Man
- The Amazing Spider-Man #221 (October 1981)—Spider-Man dodging Ramrod running into a wall.
- The Spectacular Spider-Man #124 (September 1988)—Tombstone holding Spider-Man over a building
- The Amazing Spider-Man #345 (March 1991)—Boomerang cover
- Spider-Man Adventures #2 (November 1994)—Scorpion battling Spider-Man
Towards the end of the film, The Punisher carries a wounded Spider-Man into a hospital. This is almost an exact recreation of a moment in Civil War #5, where Punisher delivers a near-death Spider-Man to Captain America's team.
Insomniac Spider-Man Games
Insomniac GamesDirector Destin Daniel Cretton and Tom Holland have discussed how Insomniac's Spider-Man video game series influenced the action in Brand New Day. Not only does Spider-Man use the web-grenades found in the game, but many of the finishing moves in the video game series are performed, including Spider-Man stopping a crime on top of a building like many of the side missions in the game. In a nice bit of brand synergy, the Spider-Man costume in Brand New Day was made available as a free game update in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on July 28, 2026, two days before the movie's preview screenings began.
Hint at the Director's Next Film
TV TokyoWhen Peter Parker visits Ned Leeds' apartment, there is a poster for the anime Naruto. Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton signed on to direct a live-action adaptation of Naruto in February 2024. In fact, Naruto is set to be Cretton's follow-up to Brand New Day, with an open casting call announced in June 2026.
Star Wars
20th Century FoxEver since Spider-Man made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, he has been established as a Star Wars fan. From referencing The Empire Strikes Back to helping Ned Leeds build a LEGO Death Star, Peter Parker loves the galaxy far, far away. Spider-Man: Brand New Day keeps that tradition going, but here all the references are by Ned Leeds. Ned Leeds not only has a LEGO Chewbacca figure in his room but is also seen watching The Empire Strikes Back, the same movie Peter Parker referenced in his first appearance. Wonder if anyone notices that MJ's new boyfriend looks a lot like the actor who plays Ezra Bridger on Ahsoka.
Punisher's Boat
Sony PicturesWhen Peter Parker takes MJ to Frank Castle / The Punisher to keep her safe, he takes her to The Punisher's current base of operations, a boat named The Golden Girl. This is the same boat that The Punisher used in the late-great Gerry Conway's Spectacular Spider-Man comics. The name of the boat is a reference to the hit series, The Golden Girls. Also on the boat is a photo of Frank Castle's wife and kids, who were previously seen in Daredevil Season 2, the Punisher Netflix series, and the recent Disney+ special Punisher: One Last Kill.
Bruce Banner Takes the Place of a Classic Spider-Man Foe
Sony PicturesMark Ruffalo reprises his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This is his tenth time in the role and the first since She-Hulk: Attorney at Law in 2022. Bruce Banner is teaching at Empire State University, a college that debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 from September 1965 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Within Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Bruce Banner and the Hulk fill a role often occupied by Doctor Curt Connors / The Lizard in most Spider-Man stories. Both Banner and Connors are helpful scientists who also hide a rampaging green monster that Spider-Man must fight. With a variant of The Lizard appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it appears the filmmakers opted to put a fresh spin on a classic Spider-Man story.
References to Daredevil
Despite Matt Murdock appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he and his Daredevil alter ego do not appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, there are references to the series and to Netflix's Daredevil throughout Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The most obvious is The Hand, the ninja death cult previously seen in Daredevil Season 2, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. There is also a poster of Mayor Wilson Fisk briefly visible in an alleyway. Zabryna Guevara reprises her role as Sheila Rivera, Wilson Fisk's mayoral campaign director, who now serves as New York City Mayor. Based on the MCU timeline, Spider-Man: Brand New Day might actually take place after the events of the unreleased Daredevil: Born Again Season 3.
Spider-Man Gets an Upgrade Ten Years in the Making
Sony PicturesMuch of the promotional material for Brand New Day has centered on Peter Parker gaining new abilities, such as organic web shooters, similar to those of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man. Peter Parker even references his multiversal counterpart, using the "Peter Two" nickname he gave him in No Way Home. Yet during the fight with The Hulk, Spider-Man uses a weapon from one of his earliest foes to even the odds.
While fighting the Hulk, Spider-Man uses Shocker's gauntlet. The Shocker gauntlet was used by two members of Adrian Toomes' gang in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The Gauntlet itself was made by the Thinker by repurposing Crossbones' gauntlet from the opening scene of Captain America: Civil War. That was the same movie Tom Holland's Peter Parker debuted in, showing how far he and the Shocker gauntlet have come in ten years.
Cindy Moon (Silk) Returns
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures
One of Peter's old classmates from Spider-Man: Homecoming returns for a cameo in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tiffany Espensen reprises her role as Cindy Moon, a college student at Empire State University who questions Thanos' logic for wiping out half the population rather than using the Infinity Stones to make more food. In the comics, Cindy Moon is actually the Marvel hero known as Silk.
Debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 3 #4 in July 2014 as part of the "Original Sin" storyline, Cindy Moon received spider-powers from the same spider that bit Peter Parker. Because of this, the two are naturally drawn together in both a Platonic and sexual nature. The MCU has not hinted at Cindy having any spider powers.
Jean Grey's Sister
Sony PicturesAfter a year of speculation, Spider-Man: Brand New Day finally confirms that Sadie Sink is none other than the future X-Men, Jean Grey. The movie offers a very different take on Jean's origin but keeps one vital element that previous film versions have ignored: her sister Sara. In the comics, Sara Grey is Jean's older sister who is revealed to have some latent mutant abilities, including telepathy. However, she never becomes a member of the X-Men.
The MCU reveals that Jean's sister Sara also had telepathy, but she was killed by the Department of Damage Control. The MCU is combining Sara Grey with elements of Jean's friend, Annie Richardson, who, in the comics, was hit by a car and killed, ultimately leading to Jean's mutant powers activating. In the MCU, the discovery of Sara's death led Jean Grey's power to evolve beyond telepathy to include telekinesis. This is the inverse of the comics, where Jean originally had only telekinesis but later learned telepathy by studying with Professor X.
Origin Story for Jean's X-Men Costume
In the film, Sara Grey is seen wearing a green-and-yellow hair scrunchie. This is an overt nod to Jean Grey's classic green-and-yellow costumes in the comics, which she has worn as both Marvel Girl and Phoenix. The MCU is suggesting that Jean's eventual X-Men costume will be inspired by her sister. Throughout the film, Jean herself wears green-and-yellow jackets, further hinting at her future costume.
Hulk Remembers Spider-Man (But How?)
The memory-wiping spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home that made everyone forget who Peter Parker was is an adaptation of Mephisto's spell in the comic One More Day, which made everyone forget that Peter Parker was Spider-Man. However, one person remembered: The Hulk. In Immortal Hulk: With Great Power from 2020, the Hulk reveals to Spider-Man that while Bruce Banner might have forgotten Peter Parker was Spider-Man, the Hulk still remembers. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, during the fight with a mind-controlled Hulk, Spider-Man tells Hulk, "It's Peter." The Hulk quickly stops, seemingly acknowledging he remembers Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
Now this does raise a few questions, notably how the Hulk remembers Peter Parker if they never properly met. When Bruce Banner arrives on Earth in Avengers: Infinity War and first learns about Spider-Man, the Hulk persona refuses to emerge. Then, in the five years between Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Hulk never got to meet Spider-Man because Peter Parker got dusted. The merged Professor Hulk might have met Peter Parker at Tony Stark's funeral and kept in contact with him for a year, until the memory-wiping spell. However, that was Professor Hulk, which seems to be Banner's consciousness in a Hulk body. So how would the Hulk know? Did the Hulk have more control than expected?
Marvel Questions Its Own Thanos Logic
If you ever hear a Marvel fan say "Thanos's idea kind of makes sense," please quickly point out that it doesn't, because if Thanos actually cared about bringing balance, he would double the food, not half the people. One of Bruce Banner's students makes a point to question Thanos's logic, and Banner doesn't have a sufficient answer. The actual reason? Thanos was a monster, not an antihero committing extremes for the greater good.
Hulk Tosses Spider-Man Around Like Loki
Marvel StudiosOne of the most iconic moments from The Avengers got a quick nod during Hulk and Spidey's fight scene. In the original team-up film, the Hulk smashed Loki around before tossing him aside and calling him a "puny god." In Brand New Day, the Hulk tosses Spidey around in a similar way, also in a New York City skyscraper, clearly giving a nod to a classic.
The New Avengers Know Spider-Man
Walt Disney PicturesOne of the biggest cameos for Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes in the form of Florence Pugh reprising her role as Yelena Belova. In the movie, Spider-Man seeks help from Yelena Belova about the recent escape attempt by Scorpion and the mysterious figure, but Yelena informs him that The New Avengers won't be helping. Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place between the end of Thunderbolts* and the film's post-credit scene, which is part of Avengers: Doomsday. She says the New Avengers deal with big threats that she calls "big potatoes" while Spider-Man deals with "small potatoes."
The scene also helps establish that The New Avengers have not recruited Spider-Man because they think he is better suited for street-level threats. This is a pointed commentary on how many comic fans want Spider-Man to move away from the MCU's grand cosmic stories and back to smaller-scale stories. It also explains why Tom Holland's Spider-Man is not set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday at the moment.
- Release Date
- July 31, 2026
- Runtime
- 145 Minutes
- Director
- Destin Daniel Cretton
- Writers
- Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
- Producers
- Amy Pascal, Kevin Feige, Rachel O'Connor, Avi Arad
Cast
-
Spider-Man / Peter Parker -
ZendayaMichelle Jones
Four years after No Way Home, Peter Parker lives alone, forgotten by everyone he loves, and devotes himself entirely to being Spider-Man. As crime escalates, he experiences a dangerous physical change that threatens his survival while a mysterious surge in criminal activity introduces a powerful new enemy.
