At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the only way to save the Multiverse was for Doctor Strange to make it so that no one would remember Peter Parker. That left the wall-crawler well and truly alone, something Spider-Man: Brand New Day will explore next month.
The expectation is that something will happen to make it so MJ and Ned Leeds remember Peter. However, it's just as likely that the movie provides the hero with closure before his story continues in the MCU's next Saga.
In a new interview, Tom Holland dropped a major revelation about Spidey's status quo when he said, "No one remembers that Spider-Man is Peter Parker apart from one person."
One person? The most obvious possibility is The Hulk, as there's precedent in the comics for that being the case. The Jade Giant remembered Spidey's secret identity, even after Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Mister Fantastic helped him undo the events of Civil War with a similar magic spell to the one featured in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
However, Spider-Man and The Hulk have never really crossed paths in the MCU, so this would be a pretty major retcon (as Bruce Banner's alter-ego had no real reason to know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man).
Steve Rogers, who was in another timeline when Strange unleashed his spell, is a contender, though, as are any characters who weren't on Earth at the time, like Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel. Could MJ's love for Peter have helped break the former Sorcerer Supreme's spell? We certainly can't discount either.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Holland teased, "The reason why Ned is trying to find out who Spider-Man is in Spider-Man Brand New Day is so he can thank him personally for saving him."
Zendaya, meanwhile, doubled down on her previous comments that fans can expect some heartbreaking scenes in the movie. You can hear more from both her and Holland—including their love of Insomniac's Spider-Man video games—in the player 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'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 swings into theaters on July 31. The movie opens in the UK on July 29.