What happens in the controversial Spider-Man: Brand New Day comic?

It's a bold move to choose Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the title for Tom Holland's fourth Spidey outing, as many readers remain unhappy with the status quo that it ushered in almost two decades ago.

Here's what you need to know about the controversial One More Day and Brand New Day storylines.

What happens in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

First published in 2008, Spider-Man: Brand New Day established a refreshed status quo for arguably Marvel's most popular superhero.

The storyline follows on from the shocking One More Day, in which Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson struck a deal with demonic villain Mephisto, in order to save Aunt May's life. The price? Their marriage!

In other words, One More Day essentially reset Peter Parker to an earlier stage of his life, erasing his marriage to MJ from the Marvel canon as well as striking his secret identity reveal (in the Civil War comic book) from the record.

Brand New Day picks up in the aftermath of that upheaval, finding Peter in eerily familiar scenarios once again i.e. trying to get pictures of Spider-Man for the Daily Bugle, bumping into Mary Jane for the "first" time, and living with his Aunt May.

Notable characters to emerge from the Brand New Day comic book era include vigilante Jackpot – a mantle since held by several women, including Mary Jane – and Mister Negative, who was the principal antagonist in Marvel's Spider-Man on PlayStation 4.

Why is Spider-Man: Brand New Day controversial?

One More Day – and the subsequent Brand New Day era – are controversial for wiping so much of Peter Parker's personal development out of continuity.

Fans who had been following his adventures over many years (even decades, in some cases) were horrified that the storylines they had come to love no longer mattered – and the milestones Peter reached had evaporated before their eyes.

Marvel editors justified the move by arguing that the comic's target demographic skewed younger and, therefore, may be less interested in reading about a married, settled-down, mature man, as it wouldn't correspond to their own situations.

Many dedicated readers have attempted to counter that view over the years, but none have succeeded in convincing Marvel to undo the storyline. That said, fans did recently get something of a consolation prize.

A rebooted version of the Ultimate Marvel Universe – an alternate continuity intended to entice new readers – began in 2024, with the Spider-Man title following a version of Peter Parker who never separated from MJ (and even has two children with her).

How could Spider-Man: Brand New Day be adapted for the MCU?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will not necessarily be a close adaptation of the comic book, with earlier blockbusters Age of Ultron and Infinity War bearing little resemblance to their printed counterparts.

However, there is the thematic link of a world in which awareness of Spider-Man has been altered as well as where Peter Parker and MJ have been pulled apart by supernatural means – albeit, Doctor Strange instead of Mephisto.

One crucial difference between the comic book Brand New Day and this forthcoming film is that Tom Holland's Peter does remember his former relationship with Zendaya's MJ, whereas in the source material, neither party had any recollection.

That leaves open the possibility that he could find some workaround to jogging her memory, particularly given that events will unfold against a backdrop of multiversal chaos (Brand New Day is sandwiched between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars).

Above all, the title effectively heralds the start of (what will likely be) an entire new trilogy for actor Tom Holland, with fresh faces joining the franchise including Stranger Things star Sadie Sink (in an as-yet-undisclosed role).

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is coming to cinemas on 31st July 2026.

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