3 Ways Peter Parker Might Convince Ned & MJ They Used To Be Friends In ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) will pick up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) in a world where no one remembers who Peter Parker is. This even includes the love of his life, MJ, and his best friend Ned Leeds. Nevertheless, they manage to cross paths in the newest film.
In the comics, if Peter unmasked himself in front of a friend, they remembered exactly who he was, but there are a few other ways he could do this in the film. But with the possibility of him getting a semblance of his life back, there's also a chance it could come with yet another cost.
Ned's “Guy in the Chair” Job Could Spark a Memory
Back in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), when Ned found out who Peter Parker really was, he immediately had questions and requests. One of those requests was to be Peter's ‘guy in the chair.’ In this case, that meant he'd be an ally from afar, getting him information when needed or looking things up, just like when he needed help tracking down the Vulture.
Ned may not know who Peter is, but he's still the guy in the chair, as he created a Spidey Tracker app to help the wall-crawler catch bad guys. If Peter were to remind him of his duties as the "Guy in the Chair," it could be enough to spark his memories.
Peter and Ned's Secret Handshake Can't Be Forgotten
Ned has always been Peter's closest friend, and one of the things that they did together was create an awesome secret handshake that was very intricate and long to do. But they did it so fluidly they never even had to look. When Peter and Ned found each other after The Blip, it was also the first thing they did before hugging.
Because magic simply masked the universe of Peter's memories, there's no reason why certain details wouldn't peek out, including the handshake. If Peter did that with him, it could be the key to getting Ned to remember their history and friendship.
MJ Still Wears Peter's Black Dahlia Necklace Gift
In Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Peter wanted to confess that he liked MJ by giving her a black dahlia necklace because he knew she was into the true crime case. This necklace was nearly destroyed in the battle against Mysterio, but she preferred it broken.
MJ was later shown wearing it in No Way Home, and even though she didn't remember Peter, it was still special to her. If Peter could connect the necklace to their history, it's exactly what she would need to hear to get on the same page again.
Peter's Efforts Could Lead to a Larger Problem
One of the biggest issues with Peter's attempts to get close to the people he cares about is that even if he succeeds, the end result may not be what he wants. Ned and MJ are the only family Peter still has, and it makes sense that he'd want to try and reconnect. But in doing so, they may not actually remember their history.
Peter could do all of this and make very convincing arguments, and it would mean absolutely nothing. If so, there's a new layer of issues in that Peter would have to start over and work to rebuild the bonds he had if Doctor Strange's spell isn't reversed.
Movies like Your Name (2016) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) are great examples of stories where memories and connections are hard to let go of but equally as hard to regain. But, in Peter's case, if it's worth fighting for, he can and he should. Considering Aunt May is gone, and Happy Hogan doesn't remember him, Peter doesn't have anything to lose, and he feels less than because of that.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be a new story that explores Peter Parker on a deeper emotional level than anything we've ever seen before from this iteration. We will see Peter struggle, and want to root for him even more, and all that to say that even if those he loves won't remember him by the end, it doesn't mean he should stop fighting for them.
