Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton confirmed the movie's place in the MCU timeline, opening up many storytelling possibilities. Following the game-changing ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the upcoming solo movie of Tom Holland's Peter Parker will showcase a fresh start for the character as a young hero without any friends and family around due to Doctor Strange's spell. Spider-Man: Brand New Day's official synopsis confirmed that the movie takes place four years after the events of No Way Home, placing it sometime in 2028.
While the four-year gap between its predecessor and Brand New Day has already been confirmed, director Destin Daniel Cretton's annotated script pages (obtained by Entertainment Weekly) revealed that the film's opening scene takes place just nine months after No Way Home.
This timeline change is significant. Rather than leaping straight into the four-year gap, Brand New Day lets audiences experience Peter Parker's immediate, raw isolation.
The nine-month time jump also fits perfectly, as it aligns with the start of the fall semester, when Ned and MJ begin their freshman year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
During this late 2025 window in the MCU, several significant events take place, including major moments from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Ms. Marvel, Werewolf by Night, the devastating opening sequence of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Thor: Love and Thunder, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special.
Some of the specific events that took place during this period include Daredevil's team-up with She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel discovering the bangles' powers, the hunt for Man-Thing, Jane Foster's death, Thor's adoption of Love, Foggy Nelson's death, and Peter Quill discovering that Mantis is his half-sister.
For Peter specifically, this period is a quiet time for the webslinger as he continues to rebuild his life, costume, and technology while patrolling the streets of New York as Spider-Man.
Following the nine-month time jump, it's reasonable to assume it would directly lead into the montage of Spider-Man fighting villains, followed by another time skip that places Brand New Day four years after No Way Home.
Why Spider-Man: Brand New Day Has Multiple Time Jumps
Spider-Man: Brand New Day follows a two-stage time structure, similar to Avengers: Endgame, which began weeks after Infinity War before jumping forward five years to the aftermath of Thanos' death.
Doing this gives the story breathing room to honor the immediate emotional fallout of No Way Home's game-changing ending while establishing a changed status quo for Peter Parker in the film.
The nine-month time jump serves as a grounded overview of what life has been like for Peter since his isolation, showcasing the improvements and pitfalls of his decision to allow Doctor Strange's spell to completely erase everyone else's memory of him.
The montage would then bridge the remaining gap, culminating with the film's primary setting of 2028, four years after No Way Home and almost at the same time as Avengers: Doomsday. The montage is crucial for condensing years of Peter's solo growth, which is actually a brilliant move because it helps explain how he became acquainted with other street-level heroes, most notably Frank Castle (Punisher).
By the time the film lands in 2028, Peter and Frank already have an established rapport, the kind that suggests consistent team-ups over the preceding years.
Overall, the dual-time structure of Brand New Day provides fans with a battle-tested Spider-Man who has clearly endured a lot.
