The ninja cult, The Hand, returned in a big way in the MCU in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the group had a new leader at the head. Spider-Man: Brand New Day sees Tom Holland's webslinger return in his fourth solo outing, taking place several years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Spider-Man: Brand New Day doubles down on making its New York even more interconnected to the wider MCU, bringing in street-level heroes like The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and the return of the Hand.
The Hand was previously featured in Netflix and Marvel's television saga, appearing in Daredevil, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. They've now returned in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but this time they're under new leadership with Fan Xiaoshuang, portraying the group's new head, Snow, an original character created for the film.
Xiaoshuang celebrated her new role in the Spider-Man film, which reunited her with director Destin Daniel Cretton after working on the stunt team for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, on Instagram, sharing some behind-the-scenes looks of her in character as Snow on the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Xiaoshuang wrote in the post that she was "deeply thankful to Director Destin and action-director Zhang Peng for trusting me with this ninja part."
The Hand is reintroduced in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as a team now working for the Department of Damage Control, under the stewardship of William Metzger (Tramell Tillman).
Metzger tells Spider-Man in the film that, after the webslinger initially defeated the Hand, Metzger saw potential in the group and recruited them to work for the DoDC. He described them as a "group of kids without a leader."
"The Hand works for us now. After you brought them in, I realized that fundamentally, they are a group of kids without a leader. All they needed was a little direction. Then suddenly, all the things that made them dangerous, turned them into an invaluable part of our security team."
At some point during the Hand's resurgence, Snow appears to have stepped forward as the new leader of the group, taking over from the previous leader, Elektra (Elodie Yung), who had seemingly perished.
Xiaoshuang's post offers a close-up look at Snow's outfit and her fellow ninjas who are part of The Hand. As in their past iterations, the group is all dressed in red.
Snow appears distinct in the movie, as she does not wear a red balaclava over her entire face; instead, she wears a headband and a face mask that set her apart from her teammates.
The performer also shared pictures with her fellow The Hand actors, providing a close-up look at Snow's costume, hairstyle, and makeup.
As the leader, Snow is also distinguished by longer, flowing red robes and a thicker belt.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day was released in theaters on July 31st, starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Sadie Sink.
The Hand's Role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day & Beyond
Warning: The rest of this article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
While The Hand was featured heavily in the marketing for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the group isn't as pivotal to the plot as one might think. After Spider-Man learns the group now works for the Department of Damage Control, the group disappears for a large chunk of the film, only to return when Spider-Man has discovered the truth about Metzger and his plans for Jean Grey.
Metzger sends The Hand to defend the department after Spider-Man arrives, hoping to find Jean, and they engage in a brutal fight within a prison. At one point, Jean's mind control powers allow her to control and speak to Peter through Snow, warning him to back down. This fight sequence is also pivotal to Peter's arc in the story, as it is the first time he's able to fully balance his human and arachnid DNA, becoming more powerful than ever. He leaves the Hand trapped in his organic webbing, which is the last they're seen in the movie.
While The Hand plays a small but integral role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, their return in the MCU could have big implications. Thanks to Daredevil: Born Again, the team of Defenders heroes is also active in New York City at the time, and the return of their ninja nemesis would no doubt not go unnoticed by the team.
Adding to the speculation is the return of Elektra in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, with Elodie Yung spotted on set. While it's unclear what role Elektra will play in the new season, she is heavily linked to the Hand and may seek them out once she reappears in New York, potentially retaking her position as their leader.
