Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Conclusion Divides Fans on Its Implications

Peter Parker’s journey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day highlights his internal conflict as he grapples with losing his identity to the superhero life. For over four years, he has distanced himself from friendships and connections, a consequence of Doctor Strange’s spell that erased him from everyone’s memory following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Although he’s not close with his best friend Ned or ex-girlfriend MJ, he keeps tabs on them through social media and even shows up at a house party they throw. As the story unfolds, both Ned and MJ find themselves in peril, leading to Spider-Man’s intervention—his first step toward reconnecting with them. The film’s conclusion leaves fans speculating whether Doctor Strange’s memory-erasing spell has somehow been undone.

Brand New Day wraps up in classic MCU fashion, with Spider-Man saving the day and returning to his routine of heroics. Jean Grey, who had mentally held the city hostage after discovering the Department of Damage Control was responsible for her sister’s death, has vanished, but Ned and MJ were also affected by her psychic attack and were saved by Spider-Man once more. After the chaos settles, Peter encounters Ned at a store and attempts to introduce himself. Without hesitation, they perform their signature handshake from previous films. Ned appears puzzled about how he knows this handshake with someone he barely remembers, but after they finish, he looks up and calls Peter by name, leaving it uncertain whether he truly remembers his old friend or is simply piecing things together after hearing Spider-Man’s name earlier.

This handshake scene is packed with implications. One interpretation is that Ned’s muscle memory kicked in, allowing him to perform the handshake instinctively, much like how gamers develop reflexes through repeated gameplay. This kind of muscle memory is also familiar to musicians, who learn to play songs without consciously thinking about each note. So, if Ned has done this handshake countless times, it might stick with him even if his memories of Peter have been wiped.

While Ned recalling the handshake doesn’t definitively indicate he remembers Peter, it certainly sparks debate among Spidey fans. A popular theory suggests that Jean may have inadvertently triggered some buried memories when she unleashed her psychic powers on the city. Later in the film, MJ is seen on a rooftop where she and Peter used to hang out, clutching a necklace he gave her in Far From Home. This moment hints that she might have some awareness of Peter, or at least is reflecting on the fact that there was a version of her that loved Spider-Man, despite having forgotten a significant part of her life.

However, earlier in the film, Jean makes it clear that MJ has no memories of Peter, confirming that Doctor Strange’s spell was effective. Given Jean’s formidable telepathic abilities, it seems unlikely she would have missed any hidden memories of Peter. The question remains: could the bond of friendship and a psychic shake-up be enough to break a magical spell? Fans are divided on this theory.

Adding another layer, Ned appears to possess some latent magical abilities. In No Way Home, he demonstrates the ability to open portals similar to Doctor Strange, which allows him to connect with alternate versions of Peter as the multiverse converges on the MCU’s New York City. Some speculate that this might have helped him subconsciously retain memories of Peter, but this remains purely speculative, with little evidence from Brand New Day itself.

Currently, Spider-Man’s future in the MCU is uncertain, though the post-credits scene of Brand New Day strongly suggests he will appear in Avengers: Secret Wars next year. This leaves fans wondering if we’ll ever get a clear answer about Ned’s memories of Peter. Many fans appreciate the ambiguity, as it fosters discussion and gives the MCU flexibility for future storytelling.

“I don’t think even the director/writers know, which is why they left it so open-ended,” one fan noted. “If they wanted it to be conclusive, they would have shot the scene with a clearer answer. They chose to make it ambiguous, so I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer… yet.”

This means that in the coming years, we can expect plenty of discussions, theories, and interpretations about the significance of this final scene. However, considering the events of Secret Wars in the comics, there’s a chance that the next films might sidestep this entire storyline. It would be disappointing if the emotional journey of Peter’s character were overshadowed by multiverse antics.