‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Final Scene Hits Harder Than A Kiss
If you ask most fans for their best guess about how 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day would end, a reunion between Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and MJ (Zendaya) probably would've been near the top of the list. But that's not what happens. The final scene doesn't involve a romantic confession or even a kiss. It belongs to Peter and his best friend, Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon).
After running into Ned at a local bodega, Peter introduces himself as though they're meeting for the first time and reaches out for a handshake. But instead of a polite greeting, the two of them instinctively slip into the routine they've shared since high school. Even though Ned seems confused, his muscle memory takes over, and he just goes with it.
When the handshake ends, Ned pauses for a moment. There's a flicker of recognition on his face before he says, "Peter." And Peter responds with the biggest smile ever. The movie doesn't confirm whether the spell Doctor Strange cast to make the world forget that Peter Parker exists has somehow been undone. It just leaves the moment open to interpretation.
‘Brand New Day’ Puts Friendship Ahead Of Romance
Peter does reconnect with MJ. But their relationship never goes back to the way it was before the spell. And the movie constantly reminds us that this is a new beginning and not a continuation of their old romance. Even their only kiss doesn't feel like the magical reunion some fans might have expected because it happens while MJ is being controlled by Jean Grey (Sadie Sink).
Instead of celebrating Peter finally getting the girl back, the scene feels awkward, confusing, and more than a little unsettling. That's the movie's way of making it clear that Peter can't simply reclaim the life he lost. However, the handshake with Ned asks for nothing. Peter isn't trying to convince his best friend to remember him or recreate years of shared experiences.
That's what makes the scene much more meaningful than a kiss with MJ. It tells us that the strongest relationships in life aren't only romantic ones. Friendship can carry just as much emotional weight, especially when the relationship has been built on years of trust. And the ‘silly’ little second-nature rituals which people create are not so silly after all.
Peter and Ned's Handshake Goes All The Way Back To ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’
Peter and Ned's handshake has been around since Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). It's introduced almost like an afterthought, and at the time, seemed like nothing more than a plot device that told viewers that these two had been friends for the longest time. Despite the complexity of the sequence, it felt pretty authentic. That wasn't an accident.
Rather than handing Holland and Batalon a choreographed sequence, director Jon Watts asked the actors if they would come up with the handshake themselves. He thought that if they created it together, it would feel like Peter and Ned naturally invented it as friends. It's a small behind-the-scenes detail, but it's probably why the handshake always comes across as effortless.
And Brand New Day never stops to explain what the handshake means because it doesn't have to. Audiences have spent years associating it with one of the MCU's most genuine friendships. The clever part is that the handshake means something completely different than it did in Homecoming. It's a reminder that no matter what happens in life, some bonds will never be lost entirely.
Is Peter & MJ's Story Over?
Brand New Day never treats MJ as a prize for Peter to win back. She has her own life, and the story respects that. Even after she reads Peter's letter and he confesses his feelings for her, MJ doesn't suddenly become the same person she was before Doctor Strange's spell. Peter's revelation actually has the opposite effect, with MJ telling him that she doesn't even know who he is.
That's probably frustrating if you've been waiting since Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) for the pair to reunite. The interesting part is that Brand New Day still leaves room for hope because, despite herself, MJ is sympathetic and seems to care about the version of Peter she recently met. The final montage also reinforces the idea that Peter and MJ's story isn't over yet.
As Peter watches the sunset from Frank Castle's (Jon Bernthal) safe house, MJ is seen watching the very same sunset from their old high school rooftop. They're looking at the same sky, but they're living completely different lives. It might seem like a small detail. But it basically reminds us that they're still connected, even if they're no longer together.
