The Marvel Cinematic Universe has often been criticised for undoing bold storytelling decisions soon after making them, but the new film Spider-Man: Brand New Day breaks that pattern by refusing to reverse the consequences set up at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. This matters because it marks a rare instance of the franchise committing to difficult character fallout rather than resetting to a comfortable status quo, according to the article's analysis.

At the end of No Way Home, Peter Parker's identity was erased from the world's memory, leaving him isolated from MJ and Ned. Rather than reuniting him with them at the start of Brand New Day, the film keeps Peter struggling with that separation, in contrast to how the MCU previously glossed over the dramatic potential of the five-year "Blip" following Avengers: Endgame and often reverses major character developments, such as Tony Stark's suit destruction in Iron Man 3 or inconsistent portrayals of Thor and Hulk.