Spider-Man Tom Holland is swinging back into duty at this very moment! Production has begun on his fourth outing as the webslinger, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It is a far cry from the doubt and uncertainty regarding the previous film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. Back then, the film was imperiled when Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures hit an impasse about using the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But Holland exercised his clout, and the studios agreed to make one more film together (No Way Home) with Holland expected to play the Spidey in at least one other Marvel film.
Then, as the premieres and publicity for No Way Home commenced, producers like Amy Pascal and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige intimated or openly declared the eventuality of a fourth Spider-Man film set within the MCU. And when audiences finally sat down to watch No Way Home, they saw Peter Parker remained in that reality — unlike Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) — but his circumstances changed to such an extent that a fourth film could be something of a soft relaunch for the Spectacular Spider-Man.
With filming underway, we thought it might be the right time to collect everything we know about Brand New Day so far and try to determine what Peter must do before the next MCU saga concludes and whether or not he can make life a little easier for himself.
Of course, long-time readers of Spider-Man comics can guess the answer to that second question.
What Is A Brand New Day, Anyway?
The film takes its subtitle from a pair of infamous Marvel Comics storylines: “One More Day” and “Brand New Day”. In the former, Aunt May lies dying from a gunshot wound and Peter appeals to Mephisto — yes, really — to save her life. The cost is something he will definitely miss, though: his life with Mary Jane Watson. “Brand New Day” establishes a new status quo for the characters with Peter now living under Aunt May’s roof and no longer outed as Spider-Man (long story), MJ and Peter remembering their relationship resulting not in marriage, but a bad breakup, and Aunt May volunteering at the F.E.A.S.T. homeless shelter.
Those who recall No Way Home may recognize at least some of “One More Day” buried within the final minutes of the film. In order to fix the Multiversal chaos, Peter must accept the complete erasure of his life and friendships in order to undo his outing as Spider-Man. He agrees to the terms, loses his advanced Stark Industries tech, the bonds he had with Michelle “MJ” Jones (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), and even the confidence of Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), whom he encounters while visiting Aunt May’s (Marisa Tomei) grave.
One key difference between the stories: The MCU Peter retains all of his memories of the way things were before Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) spell and must live with them even as he tries to establish a new life.
Naturally, Marvel Studios is keeping the exact plot of the film under wraps, but based on the comic books and Brand New Day’s place within the Multiverse Saga, we can make a few guesses. Even as his new life settles into place, Peter’s desire to restore MJ’s and Ned’s memories of him will never be far from his thoughts. But without the aid of a sorcerer or the knowledge of Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) as a force in the universe, he must rely on his wits and talents to effect some change. Meanwhile, he must also confront enemies old and new while facing the truth of being just one of the many street-level people patrolling New York.
Some believe the film will continue No Way Home‘s dalliance with the Multiverse and see Peter encountering more Spider-people from other realities. We are not so sure. No Way Home was one of the better uses of the concept — although some debate the merits of its nostalgia-driven crossover. Additionally, a Multiverse is also at the core of Sony’s animated Spider-Verse films, where the various interpretations of Spider-Man have had more space to be explored narratively. Also, it appears Marvel is seeding the idea that Brand New Day will be more street level (think Daredevil) than the previous MCU Spider-Man films.
Meanwhile, set photos from the early days of filming indicate the presence of the Inner Demons, a group connected to the Spider-Man antagonist known as Mr. Negative, who first fought with Spider-Man during the “Brand New Day” comic book story.
Where Will The New Day Take Place?
Although the final seconds of No Way Home make it clear Spider-Man will be operating in Manhattan, we expect Peter will find making rent there very difficult. Consequently, he’ll still be in Brooklyn. Granted, finding a place to live there alone is also really tough. One of our favorite guesses about his living space is the possibility that he may have to share a dwelling with two other people. That could bring in some familiar characters from the animated Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Saturday Morning series, but we’ll leave that as more of a wild speculation until actors are cast as Firestar and Iceman.
Meanwhile, the other New York environs will no doubt resemble what we have seen going back as far as the first Avengers film and the subsequent Spider-Man pictures. It will be a New York not unlike our own, but also one still feeling the effects of the Blip, the Battle of Earth, and the Mayorship of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).
Who Will Be There On The Day?
Holland is back as Peter, naturally enough. As discussed above, he will still be facing that new life he accepted at the end of No Way Home and, presumably, trying to establish what that means for himself both as Peter and as Spider-Man.
Zendaya is also returning, but with a busy 2025 that includes the third season of Euphoria and filming Dune: Part Three, we expect MJ may be a more reduced presence this time around. It suggests Peter may not be able to recover her memories of him before the film ends. Although Batalon is also returning for the film, it is unclear how large his role will be.
The first new name added to the cast is Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. Guesses as to who she will play include Mayday Parker — Peter and MJ’s child from an alternate future — the X-Men’s Jean Grey, and comic book Peter’s first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. The latter has some appeal, as a version of the character emerged in the last 15 years as Ghost Spider or, as fans call her, Spider-Gwen (the co-lead of the Spider-Verse films). Whether a circumstance of the Multiverse or just another person bitten by a radioactive spider, having Peter encounter someone who is very much like him could be an interesting wrinkle and, perhaps, have him thinking twice about trying to bring MJ back into his life. Then again, with a Spider-Gwen (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) already prominent in the Spider-Verse story, it is easy to think Sink may be playing one of the other options.
In terms of antagonists, Spidey will face the presence of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Well, we’re going to assume it will be an antagonistic relationship, because the character first debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 as a foil for Peter. He only became an anti-hero in subsequent appearances. But one person who will definitely be bad news for Peter is Michael Mando’s Scorpion. The character made a brief appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming and was last seen trying to get the Vulture (Michael Keaton) to reveal Peter’s identity. Of course, with Strange’s spell in effect, we doubt the Vulture remembers that he drove his daughter and Peter to that dance all those years ago.
Presumably aiding Peter this time: Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). We imagine he is there, in part, to establish that someone remembers Spider-Man was in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Based on the last time we saw Bruce, he may also bring his son Skaar along with him for whatever they have to face in this film. Although, that aspect of his current status quo may not come into play.
Liza Colón-Zayas will also appear in the film in an as-yet-undisclosed role, as will Wynonna Earp and Revival star Melanie Scrofano. And in recent days, rumors suggest Stranger Things’ Joe Keery will appear as Harry Osborn — a surprising idea since No Way Home made it clear that the family (or at least their company) does not exist in the MCU. It has also been suggested that Charlie Cox will appear as Matt Murdoch in the film, although this has not been confirmed. Nor has the presence of Mister Negative, but it is possible he is the yet-to-be-revealed primary antagonist. The character certainly has the wattage to be a good antagonist for a more street-level Spidey.
Who Is Making Brand New Day?
Taking the helm from previous Spider-Man director Jon Watts is Destin Daniel Cretton, familiar to Marvel fans as the director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Based on that film, his style is definitely complimentary, and we expect he will be able to integrate Bernthal’s more intense Frank Castle into the presumably lighter proceedings. We doubt it will lead to Peter and Frank duetting at karaoke, but you never know.
No Way Home writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers return to offer some continuity from the previous trilogy. The pair worked on the script as early as February 2023, with Holland later saying the script was finally “cracked” in October of 2024. The pair also wrote later drafts of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, with McKenna providing material for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. As old Marvel hands, they will be able to give the film the sense of a continuing Spider-Man story while also establishing a new status quo should Peter fail to give MJ and Ned their memories back.
Producers include Feige, naturally enough, and Pascal. The duo also shares producer credits on the previous MCU Spider-Man films. Avi Arad, Louis D’Esposito, and Rachel O’Connor are also listed as producers. Other crew include production designer Charles Wood, editor Nat Sanders, and costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays, who also returns from No Way Home.
Filming is currently underway in the UK.
When Will We See The Brand New Day?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens on July 31, 2026. Previously meant to appear between the two upcoming Avengers films, it will now precede the entire conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. Like No Way Home, it remains to be seen how directly tied to that tale it will end up being. Additionally, Pascal previously said the film will be the start of a new trilogy for Peter, so it is possible it will side-step the Multiverse entirely… unless, of course, Peter has a role to play in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. In that case, it also remains to be seen how Brand New Day can launch a new trilogy while still being tied to the current saga. Either way, though, it is clear Spidey has a place in whatever becomes of the MCU.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to open in theaters on July 31, 2026.
