A new photo from the Spider-Man: Brand New Day set teased how the upcoming movie will follow up on No Way Home's story. The upcoming wall-crawling epic starring Tom Holland will start a new era for the actor's 20-something superhero, as he leaves high school and enters the void of uncertainty that is early adulthood.
As part of this, Holland's Peter Parker had to say goodbye to those he loved, leaving his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and first love MJ (Zendaya) without his memory to save the Multiverse from splitting at the seams. Some wondered how the new fourth MCU Spider-Man movie would take on this lofty narrative stake, and it, at least according to a new photo, will do it rather seamlessly.
Fans spotted a curious piece of clothing in a new Spider-Man: Brand New Day set photo, seemingly revealing how the new Spidey blockbuster will blend into the last.
A new image shared online by MCU Film News on X sees Holland standing next to some fans on a set visit for the 2026 MCU epic alongside his castmates Zendaya and Batalon. In the picture, Batalon is wearing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (aka MIT shirt, the college that his Ned character got into at the end of No Way Home.
Fans will remember that one of the last beats of Holland's last solo MCU adventure saw Batalon's Ned and Zendaya's MJ both getting accepted to the prestigious post-secondary institution, while Holland's Peter came to grips with staying in New York and leaving his former friends behind.
This set photo seems to indicate that Ned followed through with his decision to attend MIT and is now in college, having completely forgotten about his former super-powered best.
It is curious that the Ned and MJ actors would be on the Spider-Man 4 set if they are off in Cambridge, Massachusetts (and not New York City, where Spider-Man is based). However, it could tease their reemergence in Peter's life, potentially returning home to the Big Apple for a break from class or some other extenuating circumstances.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks the first post-high school Spider-Man film for Tom Holland's take on the iconic web-head. Directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day follows Holland's Peter Parker as he navigates being a burgeoning adult in New York City while also protecting it from various costumed threats (like the villainous Scorpion).
Holland leads the new MCU blockbuster with Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Bernthal set to star alongside him. Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.
Will Peter Parker Reunite With Ned and Zendaya in Spider-Man 4?
Heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, one of the biggest questions about the film is whether Tom Holland's Peter Parker will reunite with his former besties, Ned and MJ.
It has been confirmed that Zendaya and Jacob Batalon's MCU characters will appear in the upcoming film in what has been described as "an important role" despite a relative lack of screentime.
This, along with Batalon's MIT shirt in this new Spider-Man 4 set photo, could indicate that these former Spidey movie mainstays could be off at college for most of the movie, coming back for either a short period (over winter break or something) and having Peter attempting to reingratiate himself with them in the process.
If successful, Peter could reacquire two of his closest friends, but there is always the chance that they have changed while away at MIT.
Maybe Ned and MJ are not the same people they once were, making new friends and forging new relationships (thus, leaving Peter in the dust back home in New York).
