A new Spider-Man: Brand New Day report sets up Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) long-awaited college debut, hinting at a fresh chapter for the hero. Spider-Man 4 is expected to explore Peter's life as a student following the events of No Way Home, where his past identity was erased to his closest friends.
Industry insider Daniel Richtman revealed that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are currently casting teacher roles for Spider-Man 4. According to Richtman's (via Patreon) report, the teachers they're casting are assumed to be for Peter's college in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film is expected to explore Peter's life as a college student, possibly attending the fictional Empire State University (Marvel Comics' take on Columbia and NYU) or even a community college, reflecting the character's reset circumstances after No Way Home. The focus on Peter's young adult journey, balancing his superhero persona, is something every MCU fan is excited to see Holland tackle.
At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter made the ultimate sacrifice by allowing Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to erase him from everyone's memory, including MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon). As a result, he was seen living anonymously in a small apartment and preparing for his GED, implying he'd have to rebuild both his academic and personal life from scratch. This storyline aligns with the timeline of the MCU as well, with Brand New Day releasing roughly three and a half years after No Way Home, Peter could already be a few years into his higher education.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day ditches a distinctive trend from the past trilogy and is currently scheduled to release on July 31, 2026. Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is returning to the MCU to take over the Spidey franchise from Jon Watts. Holland is set to reprise his role as Peter Parker, and in March 2025, Stranger Things star Sadie Sink joined the cast in an undisclosed "strong-willed" role. With production expected to begin in mid-2025, Brand New Day is expected to mark the start of a new trilogy.
Peter Parker's MCU College Life
While many remember Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's super-sized cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home, many casual fans may forget why they appeared to begin with: college admissions. Peter, MJ, and Ned are all rejected from MIT due to the controversy surrounding Peter's exposed identity as Spider-Man. Hoping to fix this, Peter asks Strange to cast a spell that will make the world forget he is Spider-Man, which leads to the nostalgia-filled multiversal crisis. It's when Peter tries to speak with an MIT representative directly that Alfred Molina's Doc Ock appears, and the high-speed story never looks back.
While many hope that the story moves beyond Ned and MJ, Zendaya is reported to appear in a reduced role, so the expectation is that his past friends return in some way. As they are expected to now be at MIT while Peter is in New York City, a college-related event could factor into their reunion. Something that would be sure to get the attention of fans is if one of his former friends transfers to Peter's college. It would be much easier for Peter to move on with his life if Ned and MJ are out of sight and out of mind.
As Peter now takes on college, a welcome addition to his character could be taking photos for The Daily Bugle, with J.K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson expected to return yet again in the Spider-Man franchise.
