Spider-Man: Brand New Day Star Addresses the Movie’s Ambiguous Ending (And How Fans Might Be Wrong)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day crossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office in six days, the second-fastest film ever to hit that mark behind Avengers: Endgame. Moreover, the movie opened to a record-breaking $360 million domestic weekend that topped Endgame‘s previous high. These numbers reflect the general audience’s anticipation for a new Spider-Man movie, but the positive box office is also related to Brand New Day‘s storytelling achievements, praised by critics and fans. One of these achievements is how the movie tells a self-contained story in which side characters and plot beats work in unison in favor of strong themes. Sure, the movie does leave loose threads for other Marvel productions to explore, but Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) latest solo adventure is satisfying in itself. Still, one particular scene has sparked a lot of online discussion. Warning: Spoilers below for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Earlier in Brand New Day, MJ (Zendaya) finds Peter Parker’s letter and learns the full truth behind Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) memory spell. She tells Peter that Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) is ready to handle the truth and urges him to talk to his amnesic friend. Later, MJ also accidentally refers to Spider-Man as Peter directly in front of Ned, raising his suspicion. That suspicion pays off in the film’s closing moments, when Peter finally works up the nerve to approach Ned at a bodega, introduces himself by name, and guides him through their old secret handshake. Ned follows along, confused, until recognition crosses his face and he says Peter’s name aloud. Some fans have called the moment definitive proof that the spell has broken and Ned has his memories back. Batalon disagrees. 

“First and foremost, does Ned actually remember him, though?” Batalon told The Hollywood Reporter when asked about the spell being broken. “It seems a little open-ended. What if it’s just muscle memory? What if he just remembers that handshake but nothing else about Peter? What if he just repeats ‘Peter’ because that’s what Peter says his name is in that moment? I don’t know. I feel like it’s really up to interpretation for everyone. For me, I think it’s a really cool little nod, so hopefully things happen from there.”

Ned Remembering Peter Would Weaken Peter’s Arc

Batalon’s is probably right about the intention of Brand New Day‘s final scene. By the time they meet in the bodega, Ned already suspects Spider-Man’s secret identity is “Peter.” He’s also obsessed with Spider-Man, having built the Spidey Tracker app and using an expansive investigation board to understand why MJ and he were saved by the hero multiple times. Once Peter introduces himself, Ned is smart enough to put things together and realize he’s talking to the masked hero. Plus, even if he might not comprehend the mechanics of the mind spell before Peter explains everything to him, in a world of gods and wizards, Ned can accept there’s something weird about him remembering a secret handshake. The movie guides you through all these details, and the final scene is the culmination of Brad New Day‘s narrative choice, not some random event that breaks a powerful spell. Otherwise, the movie would undermine its own message.

Brand New Day centers on Peter choosing to end his self-imposed isolation and reconnect with people around him, even without the shared history that once defined those relationships. MJ’s arc reflects that theme directly, since she cannot recall her romance with Peter yet signals she is open to building another kind of friendly relationship with him. Ned’s ending mirrors that idea. He and Spider-Man have already formed a bond independent of Ned’s memories, and Peter sharing the truth can only bring them closer. The movie is about how we lose things in life, and sometimes we can’t get them back. Yet, even if change is painful and it’s hard to let go, we can always rebuild and make something new. By the end of Brand New Day, Peter has accepted that, and simply breaking the spell would reverse his character growth. 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.