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I’m glad Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn’t completely undo the No Way Home ending
GamesRadar argues that Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to preserve the emotional consequences of Spider-Man: No Way Home rather than simply restoring Peter Parker’s old life. This matters because No Way Home ended with everyone forgetting Peter’s identity, leaving him isolated after Aunt May’s death; keeping that loss intact gives the next film a clearer character-driven starting point.
The article points to comments describing the film as being about Peter “relearning how to connect with people”, alongside trailer material showing him approaching MJ and Ned, who no longer recognise him. The writer interprets this as evidence that their memories may not be restored, meaning Peter may have to build new relationships rather than reverse Doctor Strange’s spell. Brand New Day is the fourth Tom Holland-led MCU Spider-Man film and is due to feature Zendaya and Jacob Batalon returning as MJ and Ned.
In short
- Brand New Day seems to retain Peter Parker’s isolation after No Way Home.
- MJ and Ned may not regain their memories.
- The film could focus on Peter rebuilding connections.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Preserving the memory erasure honours the genuine emotional cost of Peter's choices in No Way Home, creating meaningful character development that avoids a convenient reset. By keeping Ned and MJ unaware of their shared history, the film explores authentic relationship-building and Peter's growth, making his journey toward reconnection far more poignant than simply reversing Doctor Strange's spell.
The case against
The memory erasure unnecessarily complicates the narrative and underserves the audience's investment in Peter's relationships with Ned and MJ, the trilogy's emotional foundation. Undoing the spell allows for genuine redemption where Peter finds a way to repair what he broke, creates richer storytelling between established characters, and honours the human need for truth and reconciliation—arguably just as thematically mature as indefinite isolation.
Explained simply
Spider-Man is Peter Parker, a young superhero whose life is shaped by the need to keep his identity secret. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a spell made the world forget who Peter is, including his friends MJ and Ned; by the end, he was living alone after the death of his Aunt May.
Brand New Day is the fourth film starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man, with Zendaya and Jacob Batalon returning as MJ and Ned. Its starting point matters because Peter’s relationships and losses shape what kind of hero he becomes, even as he tries to reconnect with people who no longer know him.
Entertainment Film Gaming Spider-Man: Brand New Day