Spider-Man: Brand New Day's director revealed a new look at one Marvel villain, seemingly shutting down a viral fan theory. Marvel Studios has kept Brand New Day shrouded in mystery, as it once did with No Way Home, with many characters, storylines, and elements openly on the table, but no clear answer on how they piece together. Right at the top of Spider-Man 4's biggest mysteries is the identity of its main villain, with the likes of Tombstone, Scorpion, Boomerang, Tarantula, Hulk, The Hand, and even Jean Grey on the table, although it's anyone's guess which is the central threat.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton took to Instagram to celebrate the unsung heroes of movie development, including costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays. The MCU filmmaker offered a glimpse of Hays' work on set, strapping an as-yet-unidentified actor into costume as the villainous Boomerang, possibly debunking a major theory about his secret identity.
One of Brand New Day's many mysteries lies with Ahsoka actor Eman Esfandi, who is making his MCU debut as M.J.'s new boyfriend. Fans have been theorizing for some time that Esfandi's anonymous character has deeper connections to Spider-Man lore and may even be one of Brand New Day's secret villains.
One of the top theories has long been that M.J. is unknowingly dating Spider-Man 4's Boomerang-hurling baddie, who is set to cause trouble for Peter Parker. The latest up-close look at Boomerang clearly doesn't resemble Esfandi, seemingly putting to bed theories about the supervillain's identity.
It's worth noting that Cretton may equally be trying to misdirect fans with his latest behind-the-scenes look at Boomerang, and this is simply a stunt double. After all, previous photos of boomerang-tossing baddie do have some resemblance to the MCU newcomer, more so than whoever was pictured in the suit here.
If M.J.'s latest mystery man isn't behind Boomerang's mask, fans' next guesses will turn to Tarantula, who similarly has no confirmed actor attached. In many ways, the acrobatic assassin is a far more fitting choice for a villain identity twist, given that his mask completely hides his face to better preserve the surprise.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is edging ever closer to swinging into theaters on Friday, July 31, with a multitude of the wall-crawler's foes set to antagonize Tom Holland's Peter Parker beyond Boomerang and Tarantula.
Unraveling the Web of Boomerang, Tarantula, & Eman Esfandi
Marvel Studios has repeatedly touted the inclusion of Boomerang and Tarantula in Spider-Man: Brand New Day across trailers, posters, merch, and toys. However, the trailers have featured only one shot of each, sparking theories that they will appear exclusively in a rumored montage of Spidey taking down villains.
Both villains received official LEGO figures for Brand New Day, with Boomerang and Tarantula featuring in the "Spider-Man vs. Hulk Epic Clash" set with Michael Mando's Scorpion, while only the latter made their way into the "Spider-Man Prison Transport Chase" alongside Marvin Jones III's Tombstone.
Unless LEGO is being intentionally deceptive about these villains' place in Brand New Day, they may have a bigger role to play than Marvel Studios is letting on. As both have histories as hired assassins in Marvel Comics, they may be working for the movie's main villain or, more likely, for Tombstone.
That leaves a big question mark over whether Eman Esfandi's character, who still lacks a name, is under either Boomerang or Tombstone's masks. Marvel Studios is certainly keeping the extent of M.J.'s new boyfriend's role a mystery, only making it more likely that there is more to his involvement than a romantic rival.
