The following article contains spoilers for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
Spider-Man: Brand New Day star Jacob Batalon has weighed in on the open-ended final scene in the Marvel blockbuster.
The latest MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) instalment sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) attempt to restart his life following the end of 2021’s No Way Home, in which he cast a spell to make everyone forget Peter Parker ever existed so that he can protect those he loves. That included his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned, played by Batalon.
Neither character is shown to have any memory of Peter in the movie, even when interacting with him, but the final scene seemed to imply the spell may be broken. Peter encounters Ned in a store, with Ned recognising him only as someone he met at a party. Peter introduces himself properly, and the pair shake hands before automatically moving into the special handshake they had when they knew each other. The encounter seems to awaken something in Ned, who says “Peter?” before the credits roll.
The moment has sparked speculation among Marvel fans, many of whom are asking what this means for the future, and whether Ned’s memory of Peter has truly returned. In a new interview, Batalon gave his thoughts on the interaction and what it might represent in his character.
“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? I don’t know,” Batalon told The Hollywood Reporter. “I feel like it’s really up to interpretation for everyone. There could be a slight glint or little glimmer [of recognition], if you will.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been a massive box office success, already passing the $1billion (£742million) mark at the box office around a week since its release. NME’s four-star review called it “the best MCU movie of the decade”, concluding that “the young webslinger has grown up and become the type of hero this franchise sorely needs.”
Recently, Mary Rivera, who played Ned’s grandmother in Spider-Man: No Way Home, passed away at the age of 82.
