After No Way Home flipped the web-slinger’s world upside down, Marvel Studios’ decision to title the next Spider-Man film Brand New Day feels anything but random. But comic book fans know—it’s a loaded name. So what is “Brand New Day,” and how does it tie into the MCU’s future for Peter Parker?

What Was “Brand New Day” in the Comics?

Brand New Day was a 2008 relaunch of the Spider-Man comic line, following the controversial One More Day storyline. In that arc, Peter Parker made a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May’s life—at the cost of his marriage to Mary Jane and the world’s knowledge of his secret identity.

With Brand New Day, Peter’s slate was wiped clean. He was no longer married, living in Avengers Tower, and no longer the public face of Spider-Man. Instead, he was back in a cramped apartment, job-hunting and facing the consequences of being a broke, single superhero in NYC.

But the story wasn’t just about resetting—Brand New Day introduced a bunch of fresh elements to Spidey’s world:

• New villains, like Mister Negative (a major player in Marvel’s Spider-Man game) and Menace.
• J. Jonah Jameson suffered a heart attack, with the Daily Bugle falling into the hands of rival media mogul Dexter Bennett.
• Peter’s love life rebooted, with new romantic interests like police forensic scientist Carlie Cooper.
• A return to the Bugle beat, with Peter hustling for freelance photos and balancing superhero work with paying rent once again.

A “back to basics” approach put Peter’s everyday struggles front and center while updating the supporting cast and injecting new energy into his rogues’ gallery.

The Brand New Day Connection to the MCU

In No Way Home, Peter makes a different kind of sacrifice—he asks Doctor Strange to make everyone forget who he is to save the multiverse. By the end, he’s alone, anonymous, broke, and rebuilding his life from scratch. He even sews his own suit (the classic suit, yay!). The parallels to Brand New Day are impossible to miss.

The MCU version skips the magic devil deal (thankfully). Still, thematically, we’re in the same territory: a full character reset that opens up a “new day” for storytelling. It’s Spider-Man unburdened by the Avengers, Stark tech, and high school drama. He’s back to street-level, classic Spidey.

The fact that Spider-Man 4 is titled Brand New Day tells us we’re getting Peter at his most raw and relatable: scraping by, balancing personal problems with superhero responsibilities, and maybe even working at the Daily Bugle.

Brand New Day, Brand New (and Old) Characters

Because this is a bit of a “reset” for the Spider-Man franchise, this allows Destin Daniel Cretton and

1. Enter Black Cat

With MJ out of Peter’s life, many fans think Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat, is about to make her MCU debut. She’s a morally gray love interest and occasional ally (or rival). Not to mention the rumor that Sydney Sweeney would join her fellow Euphoria castmate, Zendaya, as Black Cat—a rumor that’s been floating around for a while now.

2. Mister Negative Is Coming

Given Brand New Day introduced Mister Negative—and considering he was the big bad in Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4/PS5—it’s not far-fetched to think the MCU might adapt him next. His dual identity (Martin Li) as a benevolent philanthropist and ruthless crime lord makes him perfect for this next chapter’s grounded, gritty vibe.

3. Kingpin as the Overarching Threat

We’ve already seen Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in Hawkeye, Echo, and Daredevil: Born Again, so clearly Marvel Studios is positoning him as a major force in Marvel’s street-level stories. A young, unknown Peter working in NYC while dodging Kingpin’s empire? The connection makes a lot of sense for the world that MCU has been building with its television series.

4. MJ and Ned Could Return—But Differently

Now that they’ve forgotten Peter, some fans believe MJ and Ned could return as slightly altered versions of themselves—maybe MJ’s working at the Bugle, maybe Ned’s on a darker path (Hobgoblin rumors still linger). With multiverse weirdness in play, nothing’s off the table.

5. Harry Osborn and Oscorp—Finally

Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) made a big splash in No Way Home. However, the MCU’s Earth-616 hasn’t yet introduced Oscorp or Norman Osborn. Brand New Day might be the perfect time to do it. While Peter does know of Norman Osborn, there could be a chance that Peter befriends someone in college and later finds out that the friend is none other than Harry Osborn.

6. The X-Men

Speaking of new friends, one of the louder rumors floating around is that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will be playing Jean Grey in the MCU’s upcoming mutant rollout. Think about it: a new girl in town who Peter befriends, who’s clearly different in a way he can’t explain. It would echo the fresh start of Brand New Day while subtly introducing the mutant gene into the street-level Marvel scene—especially if Peter himself notices things aren’t quite “normal” in NYC anymore.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st, 2026.