With production underway for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, fans are catching glimpses of what Tom Holland's fourth Spider-Man film has in store. However, a fresh batch of set photos may be generating the most excitement yet as they feature both a spoilery location and Zendaya's MJ, and she's not alone.
Newly surfaced Spider-Man 4 set photos have offered what may be a first look at Zendaya's return as MJ alongside Tom Holland as Peter Parker. Adding to the scene's significance is that the two are at a cemetery, with one of the tombstones bearing the name of Peter Parker's late aunt, May Parker (Marisa Tomei), whose death was pivotal to the web-slinger's Spider-Man: No Way Home story. This location was also featured at the end of the 2021 film, where Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) visited May's grave alongside the web-head, even though the former no longer recognized Holland's Peter Parker.
In the photos, Zendaya appears to be dressed as Peter Parker's love interest. Meanwhile, Tom Holland's face looks battered and beaten up, suggesting this cemetery scene occurs after an action-packed fight. Of course, both the location and Zendaya's presence will surely raise questions amongst fans since Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with Doctor Strange casting a memory spell, causing the world and MJ to forget about Peter Parker.
This new collection of images comes on the heels of a report claiming Zendaya will have "an important role" in Brand New Day, but that the Dune star will not have "a lot of screentime." Given the web-slinger's new street-level story, crowded call sheet, and Zendaya's own busy schedule, this makes sense. But the question amongst fans is whether this moment at Aunt May's grave stems from the flaws in Doctor Strange's spell that Spider-Man: No Way Home's script first hinted at.
Set to release on July 31, 2026, and directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to follow 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home while also launching a new Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy within the MCU. In addition to Holland and Zendaya, the Phase 6 film is expected to star Jon Bernthal's Punisher, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, and the Hulk's Mark Ruffalo.
Brand New Spidey Story But Still a Multiversal Sequel
Since Tom Holland and Zendaya are a real-life couple, it is possible that the busy actress was visiting Holland and not actually appearing in the scene. However, it's worth noting that Zendaya's hair and attire are similar to MJ's style. And, adding to the likelihood that this is a spoilery No Way Home moment, this gravesite doesn't appear to be a flashback since Holland is wearing a different hat and wardrobe than he did in the conclusion of the 2021 blockbuster.
If so, these photos suggest that MJ will either remember Peter in Brand New Day or that the two will have some form of a relationship, and one that's personal enough for MJ to be privy to the loss of Peter Parker's aunt. If not, and if Zendaya was merely visiting the set in these images, Peter's pilgrimage to the cemetery in Spider-Man 4 still suggests two critical things. First of all, it's likely a reminder of how May's death started on the web-head on his new journey and how he's still reeling from the loss (check out an alternate version of Aunt May's death scene here). Secondly, it's a callback to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man movies (much like Tom Holland's stunning new Spider-Man suit), where the two heroes also visited their loved ones' graves.
So even though Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a new chapter in the MCU's Spider-Man story, this scene shows that the 2026 film is a continuation of what has come before, regardless of whether Zendaya's MJ appears or not.
