Has MJ forgotten Peter Parker? Everything to remember before watching 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'
'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' is almost here, marking Tom Holland's return as Peter Parker after the emotional ending of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' The new film picks up after one of the biggest status quo changes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making it easy to forget exactly where Peter's story left off. If it's been a while since you watched 'No Way Home,' a quick refresher is worth it. The movie ended with Peter making the ultimate sacrifice to save the multiverse, leaving his relationships with MJ, Ned, and the rest of the world completely changed. Here's everything you need to remember before heading into 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.'
Peter Parker's life fell apart after Mysterio exposed his identity. Quentin Beck framed Spider-Man for murder before revealing that Peter Parker was behind the mask. The revelation turned Peter's life upside down. He, MJ, Ned, and Aunt May were questioned by the Department of Damage Control, while J. Jonah Jameson led a relentless campaign portraying Spider-Man as a public threat. Although lawyer Matt Murdock successfully got the charges dropped, Peter and everyone close to him continued to face public scrutiny.
The controversy had lasting consequences. Peter and Aunt May moved into Happy Hogan's condominium amid the fallout surrounding Spider-Man's exposed identity. Peter, MJ, and Ned also found their futures thrown into doubt after MIT rejected all three of them, largely because of their connection to Spider-Man. Hoping to fix the situation, Peter sought help from Doctor Stephen Strange, who agreed to cast a spell that would make the world forget Spider-Man's identity. However, Peter repeatedly interrupted the spell, asking Strange to exempt MJ, Ned, Aunt May, and others from its effects. The constant changes corrupted the spell, forcing Strange to contain it before it completely broke reality.
The damage had already been done. The failed spell pulled people from other universes who knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Among them were Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and the Lizard, all of whom had previously fought alternate versions of Spider-Man. Doctor Strange wanted to send the villains back immediately, but Peter learned that several of them had been pulled from their universes moments before their deaths or tragic fates. Refusing to let them die, he took Strange's containment box, trapped him in the Mirror Dimension, and tried to cure each villain instead.
However, Peter's plan quickly fell apart. Norman Osborn's Green Goblin persona resurfaced, convincing the other villains to turn against him. During the attack, Green Goblin fatally wounded Aunt May. Before dying, she gave Peter the lesson that defines every Spider-Man story: "With great power, there must also come great responsibility." Broken by May's death, Peter nearly gave up. That's when two familiar faces arrived. Thanks to Ned accidentally opening portals with Doctor Strange's sling ring, Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men entered the MCU. The three Peters shared their experiences with grief, encouraged one another, and worked together to create cures for every villain.
The final battle took place at the Statue of Liberty. Working as a team, the three Spider-Men cured Sandman, Lizard, Electro, Doctor Octopus, and finally Green Goblin. However, the contained spell continued breaking apart, threatening to bring countless people from across the multiverse into the MCU. Realizing there was only one solution, Peter made the biggest sacrifice of his life. He asked Doctor Strange to cast a new spell that would make everyone forget Peter Parker ever existed. Unlike the original spell, this one erased Peter himself from everyone's memory, not just the knowledge that he was Spider-Man.
That decision changed everything. MJ forgot her relationship with Peter. Ned forgot his best friend. Happy Hogan no longer remembered Peter, even though he still mourned Aunt May. The multiverse was saved, but Peter lost every meaningful relationship he had built throughout the trilogy. Before the spell took effect, Peter promised MJ and Ned that he would find them again. A few weeks later, he visited the coffee shop where MJ worked, hoping to reintroduce himself. After seeing the bandage on her forehead and realizing how much danger she had already endured, he decided not to tell either of them who he was. Peter quietly walked away, deciding not to disrupt the new lives MJ and Ned had begun rebuilding.
The film closed with Peter visiting Aunt May's grave, where he shared a quiet conversation with Happy Hogan. Inspired by May's sacrifice, Peter embraced a fresh start. He moved into a modest apartment, sewed a brand-new comic-accurate Spider-Man suit, and swung back into New York as a neighborhood hero once again. 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' picks up after these events. Peter Parker is completely alone, the world has forgotten him, and MJ no longer remembers the man she once loved. Whether those memories return remains one of the biggest questions heading into the new movie.
