The MCU's Spider-Man: Brand New Day included one major supernatural villain from past projects that changed paths moving forward. Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' $2-billion blockbuster pitted Tom Holland's Peter Parker against a host of villains, including the MCU's first-ever classic X-Man character from Earth-616. This also came with some familiar faces that have not been featured in a long time.
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Brand New Day brought back the villainous organization known as The Hand. Originally revealed to be working for the Department of Damage Control (DODC), the group was given a new purpose by DODC Director William Metzger: to use their skill set for good. Then, as Spider-Man fought to get to Sadie Sink's Jean Grey and stop her from killing Metzger (who may also return for the MCU's X-Men movie), she took control of The Hand and forced them to fight Spider-Man, nearly taking him out.
The Hand played a key role throughout Netflix's Defenders Saga, most prominently in Charlie Cox's solo Daredevil series. In Daredevil Season 2, they were introduced as an ancient, mystical ninja death cult led by five key figures (Alexandra Reid, Murakami, Bakuto, Sowande, and Madame Gao).
The group's ultimate goal in Daredevil Season 2 and The Defenders was to secure "The Substance," an ancient elixir made from dragon bones that grants immortality. They also hoped to harvest more of this elixir hidden beneath New York City, which would have led to mass destruction across the Big Apple.
On top of this, when Midland Circle exploded in the final episode of The Defenders, the group's leaders and many of their subordinates seemed to perish in the incident, which nearly killed Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios (before Elektra comes back in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3). This seemed to mark the end of their story, as the show moved on to new villains like Bullseye before it was officially deemed canon with the rest of the MCU.
Now, Spider-Man: No Way Home changes this team's fate by having them work for the Department of Damage Control, pushing them down a heroic path as New York's protectors. While they were forced to fight Peter Parker at the end of the movie through Jean Grey's growing mind-control powers, they changed their place in New York's landscape by moving to the same side as Peter Parker's web-slinger.
What To Expect From The Hand in Future MCU Projects
With The Hand making their first appearance in the MCU in nearly a decade in this Brand New Day, the question becomes whether they have an extended future in upcoming MCU projects.
The most likely place for them to come back would be Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, which is already featuring Elodie Yung as Elektra for the first time since 2017's The Defenders. Naturally, Elektra has deep ties to The Hand, as they used her as a living weapon known as the Black Sky. The Black Sky is a legendary living weapon worshipped by The Hand, boasting a scary natural potential for both violence and combat.
With Elektra now back in play, this could either lead to The Hand turning back to the dark side or for a faction of the group to turn to villainy again, while some stick with the Department of Damage Control. As of writing, Heather Glenn's Muse is likely set to be Born Again Season 3's main villain, but Elektra's return could easily bring back material tied to The Hand after their return in Brand New Day.
This group could also be used again in a fifth Spider-Man movie, after Brand New Day eased them into the greater MCU storyline and had them interacting with characters not in the Defenders Saga. These villains could easily install new leaders in power after Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, which would give Spider-Man a terrifying new threat to face as he continues to watch over New York.
Regardless of the details, the hope is that The Hand can be brought back more fully in future MCU projects after shining throughout Netflix's Defenders Saga.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
