Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens with the usual Marvel Studios fanfare. However, it includes a unique Spider-Man twist. Featuring concept art from Spidey's previous MCU-set adventures, it reaches a point where we see a key line of dialogue from 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
"I know. Do it," are the words Peter Parker said to Doctor Strange when he cast the spell that made the world forget he exists. The fanfare then transitions to scenes from Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy, but there's a heartbreaking detail you might have missed on a first viewing.
In those scenes, Peter vanishes, signifying that he's been forgotten. That includes his kiss with MJ in London, his time spent hanging out with Ned Leeds in high school, and more.
It's a poignant reminder that Spider-Man is "Peter Parker No More," a theme at the heart of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The fanfare is also a clever way to recap the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home after the wall-crawler's five-year absence from our screens.
"We were shooting in Peter’s apartment, and I was doing this scene, and all of a sudden Captain America was like in my apartment," Holland recently told Josh Horowitz, revealing that Anthony Mackie visited the movie's set. "Avengers was across the way and Spider-Man Brand New Day was on the east side or west side of the property. And yeah, I was shooting the scene and then Mackie just walks in."
"We had a great time," the actor continued. "It’s nice to catch up. He looks great in his costume. He looked really cool."
Marvel Studios has played coy with what Strange's spell has meant for Spider-Man, deliberately obscuring Peter's photo with Tony Stark in Deadpool & Wolverine. Recently, Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton admitted that he decided against exploring that in the movie, given how much it would complicate things.
Check out Spider-Man: Brand New Day's special Marvel Studios fanfare below.
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.
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day is everything fans could want," we wrote in our review of the movie. "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's cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo.
The movie is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers. The film is produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad and Rachel O'Connor. Executive producers include Louis D'Esposito and David Cain.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.