By Gavin Boyle
A new behind-the-scenes picture of some of the cast of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY reveals that Peter Parker’s decision to erase the world’s memory of him paid off for his best friends, Ned and MJ.
“There’s a promise at the end of NO WAY HOME that, for as sad as it is, that Peter is forgotten by everyone in his life. We are seeing for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider-Man stories, him being a proper Spider-Man. Him being, by himself, dedicated to saving the city, and dealing with – for lack of a better term – street-level crime as opposed to world-ending events that he faced when working with the other characters,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
This life without his friends comes after Peter Parker chose to erase the world’s memory of him after J. Jonah Jamison of the Daily Bugle exposed his identity as Spider-Man, putting Peter and his close friends on a public hate list. This meant Ned and MJ couldn’t attend MIT, the college of their dreams, because of their association.
Related: Does Peter Parker’s Best Friend Turn Bad in BRAND NEW DAY?
However, the new behind-the-scenes photo, which includes Holland in a Spider-Man suit, sees Ned wearing an MIT shirt, suggesting he is likely attending the school. Thus, even though it is extremely sad for Peter to not be as close with Ned and MJ, or potentially in contact with them at all, his decision to be forgotten by the world was worth it.
Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon on the set of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/4mCj96JqN1
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This news, however, does not shine any insight into the part of Ned’s future that more fans are wondering about — whether he becomes a villain or not. In several Spider-Man comics, he turns into the supervillain Hobgoblin. Since he is no longer Peter’s sidekick, the fourth movie in the franchise has a great opportunity to turn him into Peter’s adversary instead.
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” said Jacob Batalon, the actor who plays Ned, when asked if he turns evil in the upcoming movie. “We have talked about things, for sure, but I don’t know if it would’ve really led to anything serious about being a villain, or anything like that.”
“I’m open to anything, and I think we all are open to anything,” he continued. “Unless you’re like a superhero, like big time, one of the main ones they’re trying to make movies about, you don’t really know what’s going to happen. In the industry, people don’t want to hope to wish. So, I would hopefully [return]. I’m down for anything. I would love to be a part of something special again. But also at the same time, I understand it’s a business, and people may not want that thing anymore, so I’m just being more realistic than anything else.”
While fans remain curious about Ned’s future, it is unlikely they will no anything for sure until the movie releases on July 31, 2026.
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