Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially revealed which MCU characters know about Peter Parker's secret identity as Spider-Man (and one of them might surprise fans). Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending completely changed the life of Tom Holland's Peter Parker after he made a devastating choice to save the Multiverse. To seal the rifts and send the villains from other universes back to where they belonged, Peter asked Doctor Strange to cast a far broader spell: erase all knowledge of Peter Parker as a person from everyone's minds across the universe.
The result was absolute. Friends, allies, fellow Avengers, and the wider world still remembered Spider-Man as a hero who had fought alongside Earth's Mightiest Hero and protected New York, but no one remembered the young man beneath the mask. Peter Parker effectively ceased to exist in their lives, and this isolation and status quo defined his arc heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Despite that, the movie's ending completely upends the clean slate Doctor Strange created for Peter, as Spider-Man: Brand New Day confirmed that some MCU characters have discovered Peter's secret after the film.
Every MCU Character Who Knows Peter Parker’s Secret After Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Frank Castle
Spider-Man: Brand New Day established Frank Castle and Spider-Man's partnership early on, yet the Punisher remains unaware of who is behind the mask for most of the film. Peter insisted on keeping his identity secret even to his closest allies like Frank, a deliberate choice that reinforced his isolation.
In the film's climactic battle, Spider-Man threw himself in front of a sniper round meant for Jean Grey after the Punisher tried to eliminate her. A gravely wounded Peter was rushed to the hospital by Frank Castle himself, while Jean used her telepathic powers from afar to keep him alive long enough for medical help to arrive.
As a result, Frank eventually learned who Spider-Man was. It's reasonable to assume he also took steps to protect that secret from the doctors and nurses treating the critically injured hero during his recovery.
With the truth now between them, the partnership the two forged earlier (beginning on Staten Island) carries far greater weight. What started as a reluctant, pragmatic alliance has deepened into a genuine big-brother/little-brother dynamic, one that feels primed to continue shaping both characters in future MCU stories.
Jean Grey
Following months of endless speculation, Spider-Man: Brand New Day confirmed Sadie Sink is the MCU's Jean Grey. Early on in the film, Jean learns Spider-Man's true identity as Peter Parker through a combination of mind-reading and shared memories.
Driven by grief and determination to uncover the truth about her missing sister, Sara Grey, Jean begins the story as an antagonist. This knowledge of Peter's dual life becomes a key piece of leverage she uses during her mission, heightening the personal stakes as she manipulates those around him in her desperate search for answers.
With Jean being the first X-Men member to learn about Spider-Man's secret identity, it opens up many exciting crossover opportunities in the future and positions the web-slinger as one of the potential future allies of the X-Men in the Mutant Saga.
MJ
Zendaya's MJ does not spontaneously regain her memories of her relationship with Peter Parker. Instead, she discovers the truth on her own after finding the letter Peter had written to her and Ned while she was left alone in the Punisher's bunker.
When she confronts him with it, Peter explains Doctor Strange's spell and the impossible choice he made at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. While the revelation brings clarity, MJ's incomplete emotional recall leaves her resistant. She does not simply fall back into their old relationship since the weight of the lost years and the lingering gaps in her memory keep her from fully returning to Peter, at least for now.
Hulk
Bruce Banner does not initially remember Peter. That changes the moment the Hulk takes over.
After Jean Grey's mind control forces Banner into his Savage Hulk form, a brutal confrontation erupts between Spider-Man and the green rage monster inside the Damage Control facility.
Only when Spider-Man calls out to him as Peter, reaching past the uncontrolled fury, does the Hulk stop his attack. The moment makes it clear that while Banner remains bound by Doctor Strange's spell, the Hulk himself still knows exactly who Spider-Man is.
Ned (?)
Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds begins Spider-Man: Brand New Day with no memory of Peter. After MJ learned the truth from the letter and Peter's explanation, she allowed him to have a brief, careful reconnection with both of them in their apartment. In a tense moment, MJ slips and calls out, "Peter!" just as Spider-Man is leaving, giving Ned the first clear indication that the hero he has been tracking is connected to a young man named Peter.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's ending delivers a more compelling payoff. After years of deliberately staying away to protect his former best friend, Peter finally approaches Ned and initiates their iconic handshake. The familiar sequence instantly triggers recognition, suggesting that the gesture has somehow broken through Doctor Strange's spell.
While it doesn't directly confirm that this handshake restores Ned's memories of their friendship, it does indicate that Ned realizes Peter is Spider-Man and that their bond is poised to return.
