The whispers the next Spider-Man film, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ are that it will be focusing on MJ, or more specifically, Zendaya’s MJ, who will be getting a new boyfriend through this film. The rumor comes from the first-rate scooper Daniel RPK, so brace yourselves. Yes, it is true that Peter Parker’s life will be pitiful and gamers who love the Spidey lore are already taking to social media at the extremes.
What it all boils down to? The gossip first hit Twitter and then spread like wildfire. The tweet was very clear to the point: “Zendaya’s MJ will reportedly have a new boyfriend in ‘SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’.” That was it. That was the whole thing. No explanations, no names mentioned, just the mere chance of pure, unadulterated emotional mess for our friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. As for the reactions? The comment section was bombarded with opinions all over the place.
Gamers started to speculate and, to be honest, went into panic mode right away. One of the first and most popular ideas was? That the new guy’s name is going to be Paul. If you know, you know. In the recent comic book storylines, a character named Paul became a huge point of contention among Spider-Man readers after he started dating Mary Jane. So it was almost impossible to miss replies like “Let me guess, his name is ‘Paul’, right?” and “Hopefully it’s not Paul”. The meme has now fully spread beyond the comics and is even dominating the rumors about the MCU. Insane.
On the other hand, Paul was not the only one that was brought up. What really was like the emotional stakes was the main topic of conversation. People were very sympathetic to Peter in their comments. A person mentioned, “More heartbreak for Peter,” Another person wrote just “Emotional damage,” which is the same for Peter. Someone else jokingly stated, “Oh yeah I’m going to relate to this movie,” which is painfully true for anyone who has had to live through the experience of watching an ex-lover move on. The prevailing sentiment among commenters was like one of “oof” and “poor Peter.” One user even proclaimed, “If I were Peter I would just lowkey leave the city,” and honestly? Mood.
Then came the question of good versus evil in storytelling. “thank god, nothing against her as mj but i think it’ll be interesting if peter had another love interest especially since they all forgot about him,” a player said. That’s a strong point! The end of ‘No Way Home’ without a struggle very slowly reset Peter’s whole social life. Everyone, even MJ and Ned, had turned into oblivious to the fact that he was Spider-Man. So MJ’s moving on with her life, completely unaware of the past connection she had with Peter, is a brutally logical follow-up to that spell and a sad one too. It creates instant drama and a huge barrier for Tom Holland’s Spidey to cross if he wants to get back together with her.
Other character names were mentioned, as well. Some hinted at Harry Osborn which would be the most classic Spider-man twist. One person just threw, “It’s Robert Pattinson,” which though hilarious, seems improbable unless Batman is doing a highly confusing crossover. A few people even discussed a specific shot from the video, one user said, “There is a shot in the trailer where u do see a guy touch mj’s hair and Peter looking at them from afar.” If that is the case then this rumor has a strong visual backing and is not just pulled out of thin air.
And of course, solutions began to roll in. If MJ has a new love affair, what will Peter do? One prominent and long-standing suggestion resurfaced: “Let’s get in Black Cat to make it even.” Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, has always been a great rival and partner for Spider-Man that allows a more morally gray and physically dynamic relationship. Bringing her in could compensate for the heartache and give spider-man a bond of a completely different kind. It is a well-liked suggestion that has been around the fandom for years.
This one is hot from the rumor mill. Some comments were skeptical about the source with one questioning, “This gotta be ragebait,” while others took it like it was something that had been confirmed. That’s just the internet. But the high volume and specific nature of the response are very telling. This is a plotline that strikes a chord. It’s relatable, it’s hurtful, and it’s loaded with potential for storytelling.
To Marvel and Sony, this is a clever but risky maneuver. It quickly elevates the personal stakes to a level that is higher than any supervillain could reach.
