Spider-Man: Brand New Day's official poster stood out because of a major detail that sets it apart from other MCU promotional materials. Marketing for Brand New Day ramped up following the release of its first trailer, showcasing a look at the next chapter of Tom Holland's Peter Parker. Despite the heartbreaking reset at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Doctor Strange's spell erased all memory of Peter Parker from the world, both Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds and Zendaya's MJ are slated to return in Brand New Day, which hits theaters on July 31.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's theatrical teaser poster featured a close-up of Tom Holland's Spider-Man mask, with Zendaya's MJ reflected in the glossy lens of his eye. This made the MCU poster an intimate portrait of Peter's lingering heartbreak from "losing" MJ after the reset at the end of No Way Home.
This made MCU history as the first teaser poster for a Marvel Studios movie to feature a romantic interest who isn't a titular character. As the ex-girlfriend Peter can't quite move on from, the poster puts MJ front and center, indicating that she plays a prominent role in the upcoming Sony Pictures film.
Reflecting MJ in Spider-Man's eye also serves as a deliberate callback to the classic Spider-Man 2 poster that placed Doctor Octopus in the lenses.
Other teaser posters for the MCU's Spider-Man movies featured only Tom Holland's Peter Parker, making this Brand New Day one feel special for its emotional intimacy between MJ and Peter.
It's worth noting that some other teaser posters for MCU projects also featured characters who are love interests, but what makes them different is that they are titular characters, unlike MJ, who is not included in Brand New Day's title.
For example, Gamora prominently appeared on all three Guardians of the Galaxy movie posters, as she is one of the titular Guardians.
The Guardians of the Galaxy movie posters featured Gamora, Star-Lord's love interest, and highlighted the core group of heroes. This distinction makes the intimate focus on MJ in Brand New Day's poster feel especially fresh for a Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures marketing campaign.
This mirrors the situation with Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff on the Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser posters, who strikes up a romance with Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner in the movie.
As a core member of the titular Avengers team, Black Widow was featured as one of the central heroes, though not just as a romantic interest.
Another similar situation is with the Eternals teaser poster, which prominently featured Gemma Chan's Sersi as one of the core titular Eternals.
Like Gamora and Natasha Romanoff, Sersi wasn't positioned as a peripheral romantic interest despite her relationship with Ikaris, as she was an essential member of the ensemble the film was named after.
MJ's big role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn't surprising, considering the teaser trailer already hinted at it.
Why MJ's Inclusion in Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Poster Has a Deeper Meaning
MJ's inclusion in the teaser poster for Spider-Man: Brand New Day didn't just make MCU history; it also signaled that the film will deliver a profound emotional reset for Peter and MJ's relationship, not just for Peter's life as a whole.
Brand New Day is expected to explore how Peter is starting over with the one person who once knew him best. The deeper meaning behind MJ's inclusion is that she exists within his perspective (or the back of his mind), even though she's no longer "supposed" to know him.
The poster also quietly teased Brand New Day's central tension, revolving around how MJ and Ned's relationship with Peter has fundamentally changed.
By doing this, Marvel gave a preview that Brand New Day won't just be about bigger action and figuring out Sadie Sink's mystery MCU character. Instead, a big chunk of the movie will focus on whether Peter can truly have a fresh start when the person who mattered the most to him has already moved on.
