Spider-Man 4 ending has fans freaking out over Peter Parker’s MCU future

Let's talk about the way Spider-Man: Brand New Day finishes, because it's definitely got fans twisting themselves into knots. If you thought No Way Home left the door open, the latest one basically propped the thing wide and bolted off. Nobody's even officially confirmed Spider-Man 5 at this point, yet the ending practically dares you to guess what Peter Parker's next move will be—especially when it comes to his mates.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day just scored the second-biggest box office opening of all time.

The handshake heard round the fandom

If you're up to speed: the film wraps with Peter bumping into Ned (his old sidekick and best mate). They do their secret handshake—proper throwback. Thing is, after that, Ned looks like something's clicked upstairs, as if he recognises Peter again and they're mates, spell or not. Cue immediate chaos online. People can't decide if Ned and MJ suddenly remember who Peter is, or if it's just Ned twigging that Peter is Spider-Man, full stop. Everyone's really just dancing round the idea: has Doctor Strange's memory-wipe started to unravel, or are we seeing something else?

Opinion on social media is split, naturally:

• One camp reckons Ned doesn't genuinely remember—he just rolls with the handshake because Peter instigates with confidence.
• Another bunch say Strange's spell got rid of memories, sure, but friendships built on genuine chemistry can pretty much rebuild themselves if people cross paths again. The magic didn't destroy the potential, just made it dormant.

Here's how one fan (@sntvizzy) put it while breaking down why Ned and Peter clicked before, and maybe still can:

You can definitely read it that way. What Doctor Strange did in Spider-Man: No Way Home erased everyone’s memory of Peter Parker, but it didn’t fundamentally change who Peter or Ned Leeds are as people. Their friendship was built on personality, loyalty, and shared energy….…

Magic and the Ned of it all

Those who like to overthink things (I'm including myself here) point back to Ned's dabble with sorcery in No Way Home. He used Doctor Strange's sling ring—first time, barely tried, whipped up a portal quicker than it took Strange to figure out basic parlor tricks. Not exactly typical for your average bloke from Queens. Some reckon his magical heritage could mean he's uniquely able to break out of memory spells.

One theory, care of @David_Da_Boss, suggests the handshake itself might be the trigger—Ned's hidden magic pops through when he touches Peter. Another fan (@nikeyspace) straight-up said fans shouldn't overlook Ned's magical skill set moving forward. This is Marvel, after all—they never hang a plot thread without yanking it later.

Whatever the true answer, it's fuelled a shedload of debate and probably ensured that if (or when) Spider-Man 5 lands, Ned's magical antics may finally take centre stage. For now, Brand New Day is still absolutely dominating cinemas, with IMAX showings lined up to pile on even more ticket sales. Sony and Marvel are busy popping corks, analysts are picking apart the numbers, and the rest of us are left speculating what all these spells and handshakes are going to mean for Peter Parker down the line.