Zendaya's MJ was crying for a good reason at the end of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The MCU's summer hit sees Tom Holland's Peter Parker dealing with the aftermath of No Way Home, in which everyone, including his best friend, Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds, and girlfriend, Zendaya's MJ, forgot who he was, due to a spell from Doctor Strange that was necessary to save Earth-616.
While Peter Parker's best friends eventually learn his secret identity, they still do not retain the memories they once had. Those moments are among the most tragic in the MCU blockbuster, as MJ tells Peter after learning about their past, "I don't love you, because I don't even know you."
Why Was MJ Crying When Frozen in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'?
After Sadie Sink's Jean Grey unlocks her full telepathic and telekinetic powers, freezing everyone within a bubble around the Damage Control base on Roosevelt Island, Zendaya's MJ is seen shedding a tear from her eye. Fans later see her reawaken from the trance, still crying and in a state of shock, possibly having just recovered her memories of Peter and their time together.
When MJ, under Jean Grey's control, speaks to Spider-Man and kisses him on the rooftop at night, she recalls that it has been "[driving her] crazy" for years that she and Ned have been saved by the web-slinger. The mutant-manipulated MJ notes feeling that "something has scrambled [her] brain" and suggests that "maybe there is a part of [her] that still remembers."
But none of that should be taken at face value, as those words actually came from Jean through MJ, who said almost immediately after, "I mean, it is sad, there are like no thoughts of you in here, whatsoever." It's tough to tell whether that is actually true, as Jean was clearly trying to taunt and anger Peter, who she believed was working with Damage Control.
So Does MJ Actually Remember Peter in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'?
Brand New Day's Marvel Studios intro offered some inkling of how MJ's memories of Peter exist after Doctor Strange's spell. It features various moments from Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home, appearing almost identical to before, with Peter simply out of sight.
Interestingly, after Jean seizes control of Bruce Banner, she says she "broke something" in his head, ultimately unleashing the Savage Hulk. One has to wonder if she inadvertently did the same to MJ, unlocking deeply repressed or altered memories and leading her to weep with tears of extreme emotion.
Brand New Day's cliffhanger ending offers another clue that this may be the case, as Ned and Peter repeated their brotherly handshake on muscle memory, seemingly prompting a recollection of sorts when he said, "Peter."
Perhaps the one-two punch of Jean Grey's mind-meddling, combined with a brand-new interaction with Peter Parker, allowed both Ned and MJ to recover their original memories, setting up future interactions.
What's Next for Peter & MJ After Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
In many ways, it makes sense to conclude Spider-Man: Brand New Day with MJ and Ned Leeds remembering Peter Parker, as Marvel Studios probably won't be eager to spend multiple movies wrestling with the consequences of No Way Home.
However, even if the trio is reunited after Brand New Day, that doesn't mean everything will immediately return to the way it was. For one, it will likely take time for Peter and MJ to repair their relationship, as the latter was clearly not happy that her spidery boyfriend had been willing to scrub her memories away.
Rekindling that trust and true love could form much of the basis for Spider-Man 5, whenever that finally becomes a reality. Still, fans shouldn't expect to see Peter forming any new romantic entanglements with Gwen Stacy or otherwise before then, as Marvel Studios seems eager to have him back with MJ. Despite this, there is a chance another major female superhero could be on the way, with fans convinced that Silk is hidden in the movie.
But first, Tom Holland's Spider-Man is heading to space after Brand New Day, presumably to join the Multiversal mayhem and fight against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in next year's Avengers: Secret Wars. Audiences can reportedly look forward to Holland playing a major role in Phase 6's grand finale, where he could drop a tidbit or two about his status with MJ and Ned.
