SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Update Points to Trouble Ahead for Peter Parker and MJ
Things aren’t exactly looking up for Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the latest bit of information suggests his already messy personal life could get even more complicated.
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are gearing up to release the film next summer, with Tom Holland once again suiting up as Peter Parker. The film is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Joining Holland are Zendaya as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, both returning after the emotional gut punch that closed out Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Earlier this year, industry scooper Daniel Richtman shared that Marvel was on the hunt for a “Harris Dickinson-type” actor for a mystery role in the film. Richtman has now followed up on that report with a more specific and pretty brutal update for Peter, saying, “This was for MJ’s new boyfriend it would seem.”
Dickinson, who starred in The Iron Claw and Babygirl, hasn’t been cast in the movie, and none of the officially announced actors closely resemble him. That leaves the identity of this supposed new boyfriend up in the air, assuming the role even exists.
This is just a rumor, and Marvel hasn’t confirmed that MJ will be romantically involved with someone new when Brand New Day begins.
Still, it would make for an interesting story element. Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with Peter making the ultimate sacrifice, erasing himself from the memories of MJ and Ned to save the multiverse.
When Brand New Day picks up, MJ moving on with her life would be a painful consequence of that choice. Whether Peter tries to reconnect or stays in the shadows is one of the big emotional questions hanging over the film.
Beyond the core trio, Jon Bernthal is set to appear as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, while Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner and the Hulk. The villain side includes Michael Mando as Mac Gargan, also known as Scorpion, and Marvin Jones III as Lonnie Lincoln, better known as Tombstone.
The cast also features Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Trammell Tillman, though their roles are still under wraps.
If MJ really does have a new boyfriend, it adds another layer of heartbreak to Peter Parker’s already lonely existence. After everything he gave up at the end of No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is sure to explore what it truly costs to be Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.