The Internet Might Have Already Solved Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Mystery

The internet might have already figured out the Spider-Man mystery Tom Holland teased this week, and the guessing has not slowed down since. At the close of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange cast a spell that wiped Peter Parker from the world’s memory, leaving even his closest friends with no idea who he is. The big question heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been a simple one: Does anyone still remember him?

Now, fans think they have their answer, or at least a short list. Across social media platforms, the speculation has settled on at least three main suspects, and one of them seems the most likely. 

Holland set all of this off during a press stop for the film with IGN Benelux. Asked whether even the Avengers had forgotten him, and his answer suggested that at least "one person" knows his identity:

“I think no one remembers that I’m Spider-Man, except for one person. No one remembers that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, apart from one person.” 

Zendaya jumped in to draw the line between the hero and the man, noting that people remember Spider-Man even if Peter means nothing to them. Holland simply repeated his point, "one person," before catching himself ahead of any spoilers. The marketing already shows MJ and Ned Leeds on the wrong side of the spell. They recall Spider-Man and their run-ins with him, yet they meet Peter as a stranger. 

Holland has said Ned spends the movie trying to track down Spider-Man’s identity so he can thank him for saving his life. Obviously, the person who knows his identity isn’t either of his closest friends. The internet has put on its detective hat since Holland's comment, trying to solve this lingering mystery ahead of July 31. 

Who Still Remembers Peter Parker Is Spider-Man?

One key person of interest in the conversation is Jean Grey. Sadie Sink joined the Brand New Day cast in a role Marvel has kept hidden, and the long-running fan belief is that she is playing the X-Men telepath. The trailers show her character bending minds and steering people, which fits Jean’s psychic powers. A mutant of that level might have slipped past Doctor Strange’s spell, or she could pull the truth straight out of Peter’s head the moment she meets him. 

 However, the keyword in Holland's statement is "remembers," and since Grey has no prior relationship with Peter in the MCU, it's not plausible that she remembers him. Perhaps she eventually finds out Peter is Spider-Man as the film progresses, but she doesn’t count as the person who recalls who he is.

The internet also turned its attention to Hulk, since there's a chance he was not affected by Doctor Strange's spell. Mark Ruffalo is back in Brand New Day, as Bruce Banner, and the second trailer confirmed he's returning to his wilder Savage Hulk side rather than the calmer Smart Hulk. This could set up a popular Hulk comic-book precedent in motion. 

In Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1, it was revealed that Hulk remembered who Spider-Man was, although Peter's deal with the demon Mephisto erased his identity from the world. In the comic, the spell affected Banner but not the Hulk. The internet believes this could play out in Brand New Day. However, Hulk needs to have met Peter Parker for this theory to work. Some argue that since Banner and Hulk were merged into Smart Hulk during Endgame, where he and Peter definitely crossed paths at the funeral, Hulk might retain that memory of Peter's identity.

The most likely answer sounds funny, but it's the most plausible. The Person who knows who Spider-Man's identity is Peter Parker himself. Holland stated that only one person remembers Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Taken literally, that one person who has always known is Peter himself. The joke writes itself, since the Tom Holland mystery everyone is dissecting could have its answer lying in plain sight.

While Holland likely intended the answer to be Peter Parker to spur discussion and build hype, his famous habit of spoiling juicy plot details means this could still be a genuine mystery with a far more exciting answer waiting for fans in July.