During Monday’s Sony presentation at CinemaCon, audiences were treated to an early look at Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While Tom Holland introduced the clip via hologram—suggesting it appears early enough in the narrative to avoid major spoilers—the footage left me feeling uneasy. It hints that the studio might be heading toward a specific comic book story arc that would be a significant misstep for this cinematic iteration of the wall-crawler.
The scene depicts Peter Parker struggling to navigate a world where, thanks to Doctor Strange’s reality-altering spell, no one remembers his true identity, even though they retain their knowledge of Spider-Man. Clearly longing for the connection he once shared with his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), Peter tracks him down to a college party. In Ned’s room, he discovers a makeshift command center filled with news clippings about the hero. Ned goes on to unveil a custom “Spider-Tracker” application he built, mapping out sightings and narrowing down the potential true identity of the masked vigilante to two primary suspects: their former teacher, Roger Harrington, and classmate Flash Thompson.
While Ned is nowhere near correctly identifying Peter, his obsession with unmasking the hero is unsettling. Though he claims his intentions are benign—merely wanting to express gratitude—the sequence feels like a precursor to a darker path for the character, mirroring the tragic trajectory of his namesake in the Marvel source material.
In the original comics, Ned Leeds was a Daily Bugle reporter caught in a love triangle with Peter over Betty Brant. His story takes a grim turn when he is brainwashed and forced into the mantle of the Hobgoblin, even dabbling in the dark arts under Baron Mordo. While the MCU version of Ned previously demonstrated a surprising, almost comedic talent for using Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring, tying those latent magical skills to his current fixation on Spider-Man makes it seem as though the franchise is telegraphing a full-blown descent into villainy. It is worth noting that Batalon himself has voiced interest in seeing his character embrace such a villainous arc.
However, forcing this adaptation onto the MCU’s Ned feels forced. The film version of the character actually shares far more DNA with Ganke Lee—Miles Morales’ loyal, tech-savvy best friend—than the classic Ned Leeds. Ganke is beloved precisely because he is a steadfast “guy in the chair,” a relatable civilian who grounds the hero’s world. Turning Ned into a villain simply because of a comic book namesake seems like a disservice to the dynamic that has made him such a fan favorite.
We cherish Ned because he represents the audience: a funny, supportive friend living vicariously through the superhero action. To strip that away for a contrived heel turn would undermine the genuine charm of the character. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is slated for release on July 31.
Source: Polygon
