Ambiguous Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending explained (poorly) by Jacob Batalon

Let’s get straight to it: there’s been a lot of chat around the ending of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and not just from fans. Jacob Batalon – who’s back as Ned – has weighed in himself, and if you’re hoping for neat answers, good luck. Spoilers ahead, obviously, because we have to talk about what actually happens in those last few scenes.

Jacob Batalon told The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on the bodega finale: "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 [...] 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."

That Ending – What’s Going On?

The film picks up right after Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Doctor Strange’s spell erased Peter Parker from everyone’s memory. So, Tom Holland’s Peter is living in complete anonymity – even MJ (Zendaya) and best mate Ned (Batalon) have no clue who he is. As usual, it wouldn’t be a Marvel film without extra complications; Peter’s dealing with some new, unexplained powers, and just trying to get on with things.

Most of us expected he’d find a way to reconnect with MJ and Ned, or at least drop them enough hints to trigger a memory. Throughout the film, Peter orbits their lives, always one slip away from the truth coming out. It’s all left nicely hanging until the bodega scene at the end: Peter re-introduces himself to Ned, who pauses and says, 'Peter?' Is that recognition? Did Jean Grey (played by Sadie Sink) muck about in Ned’s head with her psychic abilities? Did Ned just parrot back whatever Peter said because that’s what people do in shops? Take your pick – the film refuses to nail it down, but Batalon himself reckons something might have gone off in Ned’s subconscious, even if it’s not a proper memory.

Big Money, Big Questions

Brand New Day isn’t just making people scratch their heads – it’s also setting records. Marvel’s latest has stormed past Avengers: Endgame at the US box office, pulling in a reported $360 million its opening weekend (Endgame made $357 million in the equivalent period). Overseas, it’s already stacked up $573 million, bringing the global take to a wild $932 million for its first weekend.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day smashed the opening weekend box office record in the US with $360 million.

It’s safe to say sequels are coming, and the ambiguous ending is probably there to give writers as many options as possible for Spider-Man 5 – or any number of MCU threads they fancy yanking on. With the ending wide open, Marvel can play this any way they want. There’s even talk that it sets up crossover potential for both the next slate of Avengers films and the X-Men, now that Jean Grey’s officially on the board. It’s all a bit of a mystery, but apparently that’s exactly what they want.