Spider-Man: Brand New Day Could Be Setting up This Surprise Villain
From Scorpion to Tarantula, there’s no shortage of villains in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But based on CinemaCon footage and fan theories, there may be another villain hidden in plain sight.
While Ned Leeds has a different role in the Marvel comics as a Daily Bugle worker, he is a prominent character in the MCU. Introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming, he is Peter Parker’s high school best friend, who, as well as knowing about his double life as Spider-Man, actually helps him when needed. He was a constant by Peter's side, even when the world was convinced that he killed Mysterio — and that is what made the goodbye so hard.
At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter realises that the only way to save the multiverse is to have everybody forget that he is Spider-Man, including Ned and his girlfriend, MJ. So, when we meet Peter, he is miserable, alone, and unloved. Ned and MJ might be close by at MIT, but they have no idea who he is.
However, as shown in exclusive Brand New Day footage at CinemaCon, it looks like Ned still has a connection to Spider-Man…
What Does The Brand New Day Footage From CinemaCon Show?
In the movie clip, which is summarised by Polygon, Peter continues to be a creep by following Ned to a college party, and then ends up finding Ned’s room.
He is taken aback by Ned’s wall, which has a bulletin board full of news stories about Spider-Man. But his obsession doesn't stop there – Ned tells him that he has also made an app dedicated to Spider-Man sightings.
While he still hasn’t figured out Peter’s identity, he is getting a little too close for comfort, as he deduces that Spider-Man is from Queens. But for now, at least, Ned’s intentions with unmasking Spider-Man don’t seem to be anything bad — he tells Peter he just wants to thank him.
Why is Ned Obsessed With Spider-Man?
Still, one thing the clip doesn’t really explain is why Ned is so interested in Spider-Man. One fan theory is that, while he doesn’t remember things about Peter, he does remember things about Spider-Man. So, the theory suggests that he still remembers things like opening portals for Spider-Man, the fight at the Statue of Liberty, and being Spidey’s ‘guy in the chair.’
According to this theory, the gaps in Ned’s memory lead him to the conclusion that Spider-Man somehow betrayed him, which leads to him seeking revenge and channelling his “latent magic” as Hobgoblin.
How Brand New Day May be Setting Ned up to Become Hobgoblin
As I mentioned before, Ned Leeds is in the comics, but the only things that MCU Ned and comic Ned have in common are their name and their respective romances with Betty Brant.
In the comics, Ned becomes a villain after being brainwashed by the Hobgoblin, and later on, takes on the identity himself. He also becomes Baron Mordo’s apprentice when he’s the Sorcerer Supreme.
Similarly, MCU Ned seems to have magical abilities, as shown when he used Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring in No Way Home. This aptitude for magic combined with a vengeful motive is, for some fans, reason enough to believe that he might end up taking on the Hobgoblin mantle in the MCU.
It’s also worth noting that, in No Way Home, Ned becomes worried after learning that Peter 2 and Peter 3’s best friends both end up turning evil. On the one hand, this could be a meaningless gag. But given Marvel’s love for dropping hints and Easter eggs, it may well be an ironic, self-fulfilling prophecy.
