Spider-Man: Brand New Day Easter Eggs Only True Marvel Fans Noticed

Contains spoilers for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has a lot riding on it. It's our first Spider-Man movie since 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home" brought about some multiversal madness, and it's the last film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe until we get "Avengers: Doomsday," with the trailer giving us our first look at Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Fans will undoubtedly be expecting a lot of MCU connections and hints at what's to come, and it's safe to say "Brand New Day" delivers.

Looper's review of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" calls it "the best live-action Spidey film in decades," and it's hard to argue. After the world forgot about Peter Parker (Tom Holland) at the end of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," he's doing the superhero thing full-time now. That means there's not necessarily a "Peter Parker" any longer, as Peter himself refuses to get close to anyone. But with a looming threat and burgeoning mutations, Spidey's going to need to ask for help if he's to get out of this jam. 

"Brand New Day" is a true celebration of the character. There are references to past MCU films, the comic books, and even some Easter eggs as to what's next for the MCU. Unless you're the most eagle-eyed of MCU viewers, here are some details you might've missed on your first watch. 

It appears as though the MCU has finally realized that fans like seeing a superhero go through their villain roster at the opening of a film. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" sees the titular team fight Giganto, Mad Thinker, and one of Red Ghost's Super-Apes. Whether it was intentional or not, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" opens in a similar fashion, with a montage of Spidey going through his rogues gallery. 

More than anything, this montage represents the passage of time. It's been several years since the world forgot who Peter Parker was, so Peter's just been fighting bad guys while his friends, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), attend college. We don't get a ton of time with each of them. He makes quick work of Scorpion (Michael Mando) by slinging a piano onto him. And we get the briefest of glimpses at Boomerang and Tarantula. 

There's also Tombstone (Marvin Jones III), who we thought would've had a bigger role considering his stature in Spider-Man's mythos. It doesn't take long for Spider-Man to web up the crime boss and let the New York Police Department take him away. Scorpion returns later and actually factors into the plot, but this montage helps make Spidey's New York City feel alive. Who knows? Maybe Tombstone could factor into a more grounded Spider-Man storyline after "Secret Wars."

There's one group of baddies we overlooked when discussing the opening montage — the Hand. They're more commonly affiliated with Daredevil, but it looks like Spidey put the hurt on them. Maybe their big fight happened after Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) was incarcerated following the events of "Daredevil: Born Again" Season 2. At any rate, we see them pop up later as a new pseudo-security force working on behalf of the Department of Damage Control.

Director Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) says how the Hand really just needed a leader to show them a better path. Of course the Hand isn't actually reformed, since we find out later Metzger is the real villain. He wants to experiment on Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) and has already killed her sister, Sara (Olivia Booth-Ford). When the film ends, Metzger is out of the picture, so one has to assume the Hand is back in the wind and just waiting for someone else to lead them. 

We can already guess who will take charge, as Elodie Yung, who played Elektra in the Netflix "Daredevil" series, was spotted filming for "Daredevil: Born Again" Season 3. Elektra has already led the Hand before on "The Defenders," and even though she appeared to bite the dust at the end of that show, we never saw a body underneath the destruction of Midland Circle. She could've been hiding in the shadows for the duration of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and will emerge once more for the new season of "Born Again."

When he's feeling particularly down, Peter spots his old best friend, Ned, and follows him to a party. There, he discovers that Ned has gone full conspiracy-mode trying to determine Spider-Man's identity since he can remember Spidey saving him on multiple occasions but has no idea who he is due to Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) spell at the end of "Spider-Man: No Way Home." 

He's made some pretty funny deductions. For example, he has a theory that Spider-Man could be British since he was spotted in Europe during "Spider-Man: Far From Home." This could be seen as a meta joke considering Spider-Man actor Tom Holland is, in fact, British. However, Ned seems more sure in assuming that Spider-Man is someone from the Midtown School of Science and Technology. Therefore, he's narrowed down the list of suspects to two possibilities — Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr) and Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori). 

It's as good of a guess as any, seeing how he doesn't remember Peter at all. And the moment makes for a nice Easter egg to incorporate Flash, who has been in all of the previous MCU Spider-Man movies, without having Revolori there in-person. 

A mysterious telepath who turns out to be Jean Grey isn't the only threat Peter Parker faces in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." Peter's undergoing changes to his body that enhance his strength and give him organic webbing. It also seems as though Peter's not fully in control when this other part of him takes over, as evidenced by him beating Scorpion far more severely than he would otherwise, and even endangering a cop's life. 

For guidance, Peter visits Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to get information on his inhibitor device that allows him to keep the Hulk at bay so that he can stay human. Peter easily makes an inhibitor chip of his very own that suppresses his newfound arachnid abilities, but it's clear this device could have other applications.

To stop Jean, Peter tries to put the chip onto her, allowing it to suppress her mutant powers. We have a feeling this won't be the last time we see something like this in the MCU, especially with a new X-Men movie on the horizon. With the world fearing mutants, it's possible the government will want to adjust Bruce and Peter's inhibitor devices to use on mutants all of the time. In other media, we normally see these inhibitors take the form of collars, which is a far more dehumanizing way to subjugate mutants. 

Nothing says the government has to get Peter's specific device to do this. After all, if Peter could make a device in his apartment, the government surely has the resources to design one of their own. 

This isn't the first time we've had a Spider-Man movie featuring organic webbing. The Sam Raimi Spidey flicks from the 2000s famously introduced the concept despite Peter Parker having web shooters in the comics. And Tom Holland's iteration does have some reassurance that getting organic webs in his wrists isn't all bad.

There's a quick line where the MCU's Peter mentions how "Peter 2" had organic webs, and this is a reference to Tobey Maguire's appearance in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Ned hands Holland's Peter web cartridges, and Maguire's Peter is curious what they are. Everyone assumes he must have some of his own, only for him to demonstrate that his webs come out of his body. Everyone, especially Andrew Garfield's Peter, looks on in astonishment.

Raimi opted against web shooter devices for his Spider-Man films, assuming it was unbelievable for a high school student to invent such a sophisticated piece of technology. In fact, the idea originated when James Cameron wanted to make a Spider-Man movie that never came to fruition. But that doesn't mean organic webbing was always going to be a given. Web shooter props were made for 2002's "Spider-Man," but it was ultimately decided to just have Peter shoot his own webbing. It's amazing how one simple decision all those years ago continues to influence future Spider-Man movies set within a completely different universe.

There's a clever bit of foreshadowing in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" you might've missed unless you're a hardcore Star Wars fan. Earlier in the film, there's a scene where Ned's at his computer, and on another screen, you can see a scene from "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back" playing. Specifically, it's the scene on Hoth where a snowspeeder uses a tow cable to trip the massive AT-AT. Considering how Peter and Ned love making Star Wars Lego sets together, it's a safe bet Peter's familiar with the scene.

After Jean Grey infiltrates Damage Control with the help of Smart Hulk, Bruce Banner loses control of the big, green guy. Soon, Savage Hulk emerges and smashes Peter Parker, so he has to get a little creative to figure out how to get out of this alive. 

Peter uses his webbing to tie Hulk against the side of the building, momentarily restraining him until he manages to break free. But once Hulk's standing on two feet again, he realizes that a bunch of loose debris from the building is wrapped around his legs. Peter borrows the famous anti-AT-AT tactic to web up Hulk's legs, pitching him to the ground below. It's a great showcase of Peter Parker's ingenuity as he again realizes that he can't always punch his way out of a situation. 

Spider-Man and Frank "Punisher" Castle (Jon Bernthal) have some history when "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" begins. They frequently bring up an incident at Staten Island, and Punisher is the only one Peter can rely on to look after MJ when Jean Grey's trying to get to her. Peter knows where Punisher hangs out, which is an old ship converted into a kind of booby-trapped fortress that would make Kevin McAllister proud.

A decommissioned ship isn't just a convenient place for Punisher to lay low from law enforcement. It's a reference to some of the comics where Punisher would hang out on a boat dubbed "Golden Girl." It's one more place he could keep an assortment of firearms. The boat first appeared in Marvel Comics in "Spectacular Spider-Man" #141 from writer Gerry Conway and artist Sal Buscema. 

This was part of an arc that culminated in Spider-Man battling Tombstone, which would've been cool to see in live-action, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Tombstone only appears for a few seconds, and Punisher's role in the comic issue was as a b-plot that didn't intersect with the fight, anyway — though he and Spidey do team up in the next issue to handle Frank's b-plot villain (The Persuader). For Tombstone's sake, that's probably a good thing ...

The marketing for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" went to great lengths to hide the identity of Sadie Sink's character even though everyone was positive she was playing Jean Grey. And that's precisely who she is, with Jean's same power-set from the comics. However, the film does add a twist to her story that sees her sister, Sara, have a more sizable role. 

In Marvel Comics, Sara doesn't have powers the way her sister does. Sara didn't really have much of a role at all for the first couple of decades of the X-Men's existence. However, she winds up being a supporter of mutant-rights, a decision that winds up costing her her life. It's confirmed in 1994's "X-Men" #36 that anti-mutant extremists murdered her and her husband. 

The MCU actually gives Sara powers. Both she and Jean developed them, causing their mother to shun both her children, forcing them to become runaways. Damage Control abducts Sara, and she uses her telepathy to control Jean and get her to safety so that she can at least remain free. Jean learns that Sara died while in Damage Control's custody due to their experimentations on her. Given that Sara never had much of a role in the comics, it's unlikely we'll see her again. But every superhero needs a tragic origin story, and now, we have one for our new Jean, going forward. 

Spider-Man and Punisher make for an interesting duo because they have very different approaches to combatting crime, as showcased in the finale of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." Peter tries to reason with Jean Grey as she's holding a large chunk of New York hostage, showing her that there are people who care about her, and she can choose a different path for herself. Meanwhile, Punisher is capable of sorting the issue out with a bullet. Punisher actually fires, but Peter takes the hit for Grey, sending him to the emergency room. 

As one would expect, Punisher feels pretty bad about it, and he's the one carrying Spider-Man through the hospital doors to get medical attention. That moment should look familiar to anyone who read "Civil War" #5, as it's almost identical to a well-known comic panel. During the "Civil War" event, Spider-Man unmasks himself to the world, joining Iron Man's side of wanting all superheroes to register their identities with the government. But Peter learns that Iron Man is taking things too far with imprisoning those who don't comply, so he switches sides. Iron Man sends a bunch of villains, who beat Peter an inch within death, only for Punisher to save him at the last second. 

Spider-Man and Punisher have a long, complicated history in Marvel Comics. In fact, Punisher was initially introduced as a Spider-Man antagonist before becoming an anti-hero in his own right. The two have differing ideologies, but there's a begrudging respect between the two. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" really gets to the heart of their odd yet enjoyable dynamic. 

As is the case with most MCU movies, you'll want to stick around after the credits of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" to get an extra scene. Throughout the film, we've seen Ned use his Spidey-Tracker app that allows him to monitor Spider-Man sightings. The post-credits scene brings us back to the app, with Spider-Man firmly still in New York ... at least at first.

The Spidey emblem then moves away from New York and eventually outside of Earth itself, signifying that Spider-Man is about to have an interplanetary adventure. It wouldn't be the first time he's been off-world, considering he fought Thanos (Josh Brolin) on Titan in "Avengers: Infinity War," but it does have major implications for the next two Avengers movies.

Tom Holland hasn't been announced as part of the cast for "Avengers: Doomsday" yet, but there's nothing preventing him from making a surprise appearance. If nothing else, Spider-Man is strongly likely to have a role to play for "Avengers: Secret Wars" in 2027, as that movie will undoubtedly adapt the 2015 "Secret Wars" arc from the comics. That storyline saw Doctor Doom create Battleworld out of the remnants of various realities. 

More than likely, all of Earth's mightiest heroes, in addition to Spider-Man, will wind up on this new planet alongside heroes and villains from other dimensions. It remains to be seen if Battleworld will be created by the end of "Doomsday" or if Marvel Studios will save that for "Secret Wars." Either way, Spider-Man will return, and we can't be happier to see more of Holland's iteration after his most emotional journey yet.