Why Does Zendaya Cry in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? This Theory Will Break Your Heart
Fundamentally, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a movie about heartbreak and letting go.
It follows four years after the tragic events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which Peter Parker had to make an unimaginable sacrifice to save the multiverse: make the world forget about him. This meant he was completely alone in the world, as best friend Ned and girlfriend MJ’s memories of him were erased. He promised that he would come to her and explain everything, and while he initially attempts to do this with a letter, he ultimately decides not to, believing it the only way to keep her safe.
When we catch up with Peter in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he has (mostly) made peace with this solitary lifestyle, devoting his time to being a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man in the streets of New York.
However, as a new danger ripples through the city, Peter can’t resist watching these emblems of his old life from a distance — and it isn’t long before his old and new life collide. Below, we break down a theory that may answer one of Brand New Day's lingering questions, so watch out for spoilers.
Does MJ Remember Peter In Brand New Day?
For a moment, it looks like MJ does. When the mysterious villain (who turns out to be Jean Grey) possesses MJ’s body, she kisses Peter, and then pretends to remember him before mocking his gullibility and blind hope. It’s a particularly cruel fake-out.
Still, in their own way, Peter and MJ bond as he tries to keep her safe from Jean. While he wants her to take refuge with the Punisher, she ultimately convinces him to join Peter in his fight. While he’s gone, she discovers the letter Peter wrote four years earlier. But things don’t work out the way Peter — and MJ herself — once hoped. She tells him she doesn’t love him because she doesn’t have those memories, snuffing out the last spark of hope Peter has about a potential reconciliation.
But as things appear to get back to some semblance of normal, with Peter bonding with Ned as Spider-Man, he realises that Metzger from the Department of Damage Control lied to him…
Why Is MJ Crying At The End?
As Jean fights back against Damage Control, she essentially casts a telekinetic force field of sorts around New York. MJ and Ned are among those affected, and when we see MJ ‘frozen,’ a tear rolls down her cheek.
Because Jean’s powers involve a lot of mind-bending, one popular theory is that, through her force field, Jean has essentially caused all MJ's old memories to come flooding back. This would then add a new tragic angle to the scene, as MJ remembers, but can’t do anything about it.
Further supporting this theory is the fact that, at the end, MJ can be seen holding the necklace he gave her and sitting on the roof where she and Peter would go together. The key detail is that, to our knowledge, the letter doesn’t mention the necklace or the roof's significance.
In turn, it could be said that the shoe is now on the other foot, with MJ remembering Peter but deciding to let him go. Whether she’s pining for Peter with her memories restored or daydreaming about memories she doesn’t have, there’s definitely some yearning going on.
However you want to interpret that scene, I bet Peter and MJ’s love story isn’t over just yet.
