Spider-Man: Brand New Day brought MJ and Ned Leeds back into Peter Parker's world after four years apart. While Flash Thompson and Mr. Harrington were referenced, that was it for familiar faces from the web-slinger's past.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment for fans was the absence of Angourie Rice's Betty Brant. She's Ned's love interest and a comic book character who has been front and centre in many classic Spidey stories.
Now, the Mare of Easttown star has broken her silence on being left out of the movie after starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Her role in the latter was also minimal, largely due to the pandemic.
Talking in the video below, Rice was asked what she thinks has become of Betty. "I don’t know. She’s probably practising ethical journalism and, you know, doing it in style. I like to think she’s got a good job somewhere and, you know, doing something worthwhile. Meaningful."
Quizzed about whether a return was ever considered for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Rice responded, "I don’t think it was like part of the story. Like, everybody forgets and then, you know, he’s on his new journey now. I think that’s meaningful for the story, too. You know, you watch this character grow from high school, and he’s not in high school anymore, and I think it’s like – it’s a new era."
Many fans had hoped that the movie would find Peter forced to work for TheDailyBugle.net and J. Jonah Jameson, taking photos and videos of Spider-Man's adventures for his biggest hater. That could have seen Betty remain part of the hero's life, but may have also lessened the impact of his reuniting with MJ and Ned.
There's always a chance we'll see Betty again, but with the wall-crawler's high school years behind him, it seems doubtful. Rice, meanwhile, has been keeping busy with projects like Mean Girls, Finding Emily, and The Last Thing He Told Me.
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it's a Brand New Day for Peter Parker. Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control.
But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves - a powerful villain no one can even see. The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them.
In our review, we concluded by saying, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day is everything fans could want. Emotional, hilarious, and heartfelt, it’s an action-packed love letter to the comics and one of Spidey’s best big-screen adventures. Spider-Man has never been more amazing."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.