Spider-Man: Brand New Day Final Scene Explained: What It Means

Contains spoilers for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”

The MCU has now twice put one of its heroes in the painful position of trying to reconnect with a lost love who has no memory of what they shared. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) faced that heartbreak, and now Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is living through his own version. In “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” much of Peter’s story is shaped by the aftermath of Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) memory spell from the end of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” For most of the film, there is no clear indication that MJ (Zendaya) or Ned (Jacob Batalon) remembers Peter or the deep bonds they once had with him — at least not until the movie’s final moments.

That ending gives fans plenty to chew on. In the closing scene, Peter crosses paths with Ned at a bodega and instinctively begins their old secret handshake. To Peter’s surprise, Ned completes it flawlessly, his face registering a sudden jolt of confusion and disbelief. The moment appears to suggest that something has survived Doctor Strange’s spell, whether it is instinct, muscle memory, or a buried emotional connection. Then Peter introduces himself by name, and Ned’s reaction seems to hint at something even more significant: possible recognition.

Viewers have already split into competing camps over what the scene really means. Earlier in “Brand New Day,” MJ refers to Spider-Man as “Peter,” and Ned notices the slip, so his reaction at the bodega could simply be him putting together that the man in front of him is the masked hero from Queens. But the intimacy of the handshake — and the emotion behind it — makes the scene feel like it may be pointing to more. Fortunately, Jacob Batalon has now weighed in on the mystery himself.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter following the blockbuster release of “Brand New Day,” Batalon addressed the theories surrounding that final sequence and the emotionally loaded return of Ned and Peter’s handshake.

“First and foremost, does Ned actually remember him, though?” Batalon said when asked about the scene. “It seems a little open-ended. What if it’s just muscle memory? What if he just remembers that handshake but nothing else about Peter? What if he just repeats Peter because that’s what Peter says his name is in that moment?”

Batalon’s reading is a fair one. The moment may not confirm that Ned’s memories have returned in full. Instead, it could be a bittersweet sign that friendship leaves traces even when magic has erased the details. Either way, the scene works as an emotional button for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” and the easy rapport between Holland and Batalon suggests Peter and Ned could find their way back to friendship sooner rather than later.

Still, Batalon did not shut the door on a bigger reveal. “I feel like it’s really up to interpretation for everyone,” he told THR. “For me, I think it’s a really cool little nod, so hopefully things happen from there.” That ambiguity leaves Marvel with a compelling path forward. If Ned can begin to break through the spell, even subconsciously, then the next question becomes unavoidable: could MJ eventually remember Peter Parker too?

For a brief moment in the middle of “Brand New Day,” the film tricks you into thinking maybe MJ could remember Peter. After rushing to save her from a body-hopping Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) and swinging to what he thinks is safety, Spider-Man is surprised to hear MJ ask the very question he’d hoped to hear: “We knew each other, didn’t we?”

It’s a powerful moment, culminating in a right-side-up recreation of the iconic mask kiss from the first Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire “Spider-Man,” only for the rug-pull reveal that this is all Jean using her powers to mess with Peter’s head. The real MJ, even after later finding Peter’s old letter to her and believing his story about their past, doesn’t remember him at all.

But seeing Ned’s potential spark of remembrance after the handshake begs the question: If MJ kissed Peter, or just spent enough time with him, could it jostle something loose? It’s just as likely that Marvel will push for a “second chance” storyline, with MJ falling in love with Peter all over again as an adult (the real-world parallels with Tom Holland and Zendaya make it too compelling to pass up). Fans would certainly like all those onscreen memories between the two characters to be restored, one way or another. Maybe, just maybe, the handshake scene leaves that possibility on the table.