With an inevitable Spider-Man 5 on the horizon, an Easter egg in Spider-Man: Brand New Day may have teased where fans will see Tom Holland's Peter Parker next. The film was, and still is, an undeniable hit for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time at the domestic box office. That success, combined with rumors that Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton could return for a fifth Spider-Man film, leaves little doubt that Holland will swing back into action for another solo adventure. While the events of the next two Avengers films will likely shape Peter's future, Brand New Day may have already offered a small hint at where the MCU's Spider-Man could be headed next.
William Dixon, a graphics assistant on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, shared a series of images on X detailing some of his work on the film. Among them was an ad for an internship at The Daily Bugle that Dixon created for a job board featured inside a New York City building in the movie. While the ad could simply be background dressing, it may also be teasing that Tom Holland's Peter Parker could find himself working at the Bugle in Spider-Man 5.
This is far from the first time the infamous Marvel publication has been referenced in the MCU. The Daily Bugle first appeared in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home during the film's mid-credits scene, though this version of the publication was reimagined as an online, conspiracy-driven news outlet rather than the traditional newspaper seen in the comics. Even more noteworthy, however, is that J.K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson remains the Bugle's editor-in-chief, an apparent continuation of the actor's role from Sam Raimi's 2000s Spider-Man trilogy.
The Bugle returned in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter's classmate Betty Brant working alongside Jameson and helping produce the publication's anti-Spider-Man coverage. The publication also appears in Marvel Animation's Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on Disney+, cementing the Daily Bugle as a recurring fixture across Marvel Studios' various universes.
Dixon also shared additional images on X detailing his work on Brand New Day, including Ned Leeds' infamous investigation board, which he uses to uncover Spider-Man's secret identity.
Several Daily Bugle stories are pinned to Ned's board, all of which feature additional graphics work from Dixon. One story highlights an increase in Spider-Man sightings across Queens around the time Peter first emerged as a hero in the MCU, accompanied by an image of Holland's web-slinger wearing his Homecoming suit.
Another story on Ned's board references the ending of No Way Home, in which Peter dons a new suit and swings through Rockefeller Plaza during Christmastime. The suit features a shinier blue material and a more traditional, prominent spider symbol on its back, reflecting the influence of Peter's time alongside his two variants, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Perhaps the most comical detail about the story, however, is that Jameson appears to have misspelled "Rockefeller" as "Rockerfeller" in the headline. Whether intentional or not, the typo could serve as an amusing reminder of the Daily Bugle's less-than-polished reputation in the MCU.
One last notable story on the board that Dixon worked on directly calls back to No Way Home, specifically the film's climactic battle between Holland, Maguire and Garfield and their respective villains at the Statue of Liberty. At the time, the landmark was undergoing construction to add Captain America's shield.
The story promotes a rumor of "multiple Spider-Men" being spotted, suggesting that at least some people in the MCU may be aware. or at least believe, that more than one version of the web-slinger exists.
How The Daily Bugle Could Be More Important to Spider-Man 5
If Tom Holland's Peter Parker does eventually take the Daily Bugle internship teased in Brand New Day, the publication could play a much larger role in Spider-Man 5, apart from providing him with a 'normal' job.
The MCU's version of the Bugle has spent years trying to shape the public's perception of Spider-Man negatively through sensationalized coverage, though it may need to do a better job following the outpour of support the webslinger received at the end of Brand New Day. Peter could find himself working for the very organization that has repeatedly turned his superhero identity into a headline, giving him incentive to continue turning his image around from the inside.
It would also give Spider-Man 5 a chance to expand Peter's world beyond his superhero lifestyle. Brand New Day ends with Peter having a renewed purpose: he no longer wants to be alone, drawing a clearer separation between his life as Spider-Man and as Peter Parker. A Daily Bugle internship would not only establish more of Peter's civilian life but also pave the way for the MCU to explore more of his classic comic book roots following the next two Avengers films.
