Spider-Man 4: What is the significance of "Brand New Day"?

The title for Spider-Man 4 was finally unveiled on Monday, March 31, 2025: Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The title has dropped the variants of the word "Home" and replaces it with "Day". It was revealed at Sony's CinemaCon 2025 presentation. While this title looks innocent to a casual viewer, "Brand New Day" is significant for those aware of the Spider-Man mythos.

That's because Brand New Day is the title for the 2008 Spider-Man storyline set right after the events of Spider-Man: One More Day. One More Day, or OMD, published in 2007, controversially shook up the status quo of Spider-Man that deeply affected Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's relationship. Therefore, it makes sense that the upcoming Spider-Man 4 will be taking up the title "Brand New Day".

Why is it significant that Spider-Man 4 is titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (the comic book storyline from which Spider-Man 4 borrows its title), follows Peter adjusting to his new life after making the deal with Mephisto i.e., the devil in the Marvel Universe. This deal occurred in the concluding panels of one of the most controversial and hated comic book storylines of all time, Spider-Man: One More Day.

In One More Day, or OMD, Peter Parker and MJ decide to save Aunt May, who is shot, by sacrificing their marriage as a part of the deal with Mephisto, the devil in the Marvel Universe, to save Aunt May's life. Moreover, Mephisto has also erased the public's memory of Spider-Man's secret identity, and he also wiped Peter and MJ's memory of the deal. Thus, they don't even remember that they made a deal with the devil.

2008's Brand New Day follows Peter trying to grapple with a newly single life trying to balance his professional life as a photographer with his personal life. Peter hasn't been Spider-Man for a while because of the Registration Act, a fallout from the comic book crossover event, Civil War.

For an unknown reason, Peter and MJ's relationship is frosty at best, and Harry Osborn is back from Europe. Before OMD, Harry had died in the pages of The Spectacular Spider-Man #200, which was published in May 1993. Brand New Day set up a lot of intriguing storylines and villains, including the new villain Menace.

Spiderman: No Way Home ended with Doctor Strange erasing everyone in the world's memory of Peter Parker's secret identity as the Wall Crawler. At the end of the movie, Peter has lost his aunt, friends, and his entire support system. Thus, the new movie can follow Holland's Peter navigating this new world that has completely forgotten him. Now that No Way Home and One More Day have concluded at the same point in the story, it makes sense that Spider-Man 4 is titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

What will Spider-Man 4 be about?

It was revealed in the 2025 CinemaCon presentation that Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of the 2021 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, will be directing the upcoming Spider-Man 4. It was also confirmed that Tom Holland would be reprising his role in the movie. While the actor wasn't in Las Vegas for the presentation, he had a video message for the attendees that said:

“I am so sorry I can’t be with you. I am halfway around the world shooting a movie. I know we left you with a massive cliffhanger at the end of ‘No Way Home,’ so ‘Spider Man: Brand New Day’ is a fresh start. It is exactly that. That’s all I can say.”

Destin Daniel Cretton, however, was there on the stage for the presentation and said that he was excited to explore Peter's messy humanity in the upcoming fourth movie. Expressing his fondness for the Wall Crawler, Cretton said:

“I’m spending my time exploring the next stage of this amazing character with a team of the most incredible artists in the world. We’re all, just daily, nerding out over the suit, how to swing, how to create an event, an emotional story, and a ride that we haven’t really seen before.”