Brand New Day’ Characters, Ranked
Five years and a million speculations later, MCU’s Spider-Man has returned with a brand-new story, new heroes and villains, and a new-ish Peter Parker in Destin Daniel Cretton‘s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The fourth installment in the MCU Spider-Man film series following Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up four years after the events of the 2021 film, in which most of the world’s memories of Peter Parker were wiped, including those of Peter’s best friend, Ned, and his love interest, MJ, making him anonymous to almost everyone in his life.
In the latest film, Peter continues to protect New York City and investigates a powerful psychic threat on the rise, while also navigating a strange new metamorphosis within himself. Since its premiere, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has garnered widespread acclaim for the stellar production, spectacular action, and mature character arcs, headlined by Tom Holland’s in-depth performance. The latest Spider-Man installment also earned praise for its stacked cast, featuring familiar faces and a major new addition. Without further ado, here’s our ranking of every major character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
11
Detective Jean DeWolff
Played by Liza Colón-Zayas
A gritty and grounded NYPD detective, Detective Jean DeWolff is a key ally to Spider-Man who makes her first appearance in Brand New Day. His primary contact in the police department, DeWolff helps fight crimes and keep the Big Apple safe. Alienated from his friends from the past, Peter finds a new friend in the detective, the closest to a mentor figure he has at the moment.
Emmy-winning star of The Bear, Liza Colón-Zayas portrays the character, playing a role in Peter’s life that has been popularly compared to that of Commissioner Gordon for Batman. Even though DeWolff does not know the person behind the mask, she feels concerned about Spidey’s obsession with his role in society and encourages the young vigilante to find balance in life.
10
William “Bill” Metzger
Played by Tramell Tillman
Also appearing for the first time in Brand New Day, Bill Metzger is a new key character introduced into the MCU as a highly manipulative antagonist. The corrupt head of the Department of Damage Control, Metzger is in charge of policing superpowered individuals and exploits people’s fear of individuals with superpowers to target and control mutants.
After a breakout at the DODC facility, caused by an invisible threat, Metzger recruits Spider-Man to investigate what only he can sense and is immune to. Played by the Emmy-winning Tramell Tillman, the character is adapted from the original comic books for the MCU, but the cinematic interpretation is very different from his comic book counterpart.
9
Scorpion
Played by Michael Mando
One of the villains in Brand New Day and one of Spidey’s numerous enemies, Scorpion, aka Mac Gargan, is a professional criminal who was captured by the FBI thanks to Spider-Man and has been seeking revenge ever since. In Brand New Day, Mac Gargan breaks out of prison and wears a suit of armor equipped with a mechanized scorpion-like tail, becoming a supervillain known as Scorpion.
Michael Mando returns to his role of Mac Gargan from 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, evolving into a powerful, unpredictable villain. In the MCU, the character has only appeared twice, and only once in the live-action films, with an alternate version of the villain appearing in the 2025 animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
8
May Parker
Played by Marisa Tomei
Peter’s beloved aunt and widow of his uncle Ben, May Parker tragically dies in Spider-Man: No Way Home after being fatally wounded by Green Goblin. Played by Academy Award-winning Marisa Tomei, May has played a significant role in Peter Parker’s life, appearing in six MCU films, including all the Spider-Man films.
In Brand New Day, May only appears in flashbacks but still holds an important role in Peter’s life. Leaving Peter with some valuable advice, May’s moral legacy has become somewhat of a guiding light for Peter ever since her death. So, when she appears, even as a memory, she is a symbol of comfort and support for her nephew as he navigates a complicated identity and impending threats.
7
MJ
Played by Zendaya
An original character of the MCU, Michelle Jones-Watson, or MJ, is Peter’s former classmate from high school and forever love interest, who briefly dated Peter before losing her memory of him following the events of No Way Home. Zendaya reprises her award-winning role from the previous films, but brings new dimensions to the character. In Brand New Day, MJ is now a student at MIT, alongside Peter’s former best friend, Ned, who is also her roommate.
The new version of MJ sees her in the tragic aftermath of the memory wipe but depicts the same intelligent, clever, and snarky personality as always. She has no recollection of her relationship with Peter or who he even is and has a new love interest, which creates further emotional conflicts, delivered through a very heartbreaking scene in the film.
6
Ned Leeds
Played by Jacob Batalon
Ned Leeds was once Peter’s best friend from high school and the first person (besides Tony Stark) to discover his identity as Spider-Man. Ned has appeared in six MCU films, including every MCU Spider-Man film, as the loyal, supportive, and nifty sidekick to the teenage vigilante. In Brand New Day, he is living a life mostly unaffected by Peter Parker’s absence, but he is a fan of the superhero Spider-Man.
Ned has now created a Spidey Tracker app that tracks all the hero’s movements with the hopes of finding out who Spider-Man is, which obviously becomes an important plot point in the story. Jacob Batalon reprises his role of Spidey’s best friend, now former friend, earning praise for his character’s emotional core and the heartfelt mystery surrounding his connection to Peter Parker.
5
Yelena Belova
Played by Florence Pugh
The adoptive sister of the late Avenger Natasha Romanoff and a member of the New Avengers, Yelena Belova makes her third MCU appearance in Brand New Day. In her first-ever on-screen encounter with Spider-Man, the skilled Russian assassin helps the superhero with access to information that is often hard to get. Working out of a New York bathhouse, Yelena keeps an eye on Damage Control for Peter.
Even though she does not fight enemies alongside Peter, she plays an important strategic role, connecting Peter to the wider network of New Avengers. Following 2025’s Thunderbolts, Florence Pugh reprises her role of Yelena in Brand New Day, where she is now referred to as Black Widow, officially confirming her title and taking over Natasha Romanoff’s legacy.
4
The Punisher
Played by Jon Bernthal
Frank Castle aka The Punisher, has come a long way since he first became a part of the MCU in Daredevil, but continues to be the edgy, violent, street-level vigilante isolated from society in Brand New Day. Following a violent encounter with Spider-Man, he learns to warm up to him, despite being unaware of his true identity, offering support and helping the young superhero cope with his troubles. Through their constant squabbles, it becomes evident that they share deep emotional burdens, as both men grapple with grief and isolation.
Fresh off the heels of his latest appearance in The Punisher: One Last Kill, Jon Bernthal returns as the ruthless vigilante in Brand New Day, which also marks the first appearance of the character in the MCU films. The movie also features his iconic Battle Van from the comics, another first for the character’s live-action appearances.
3
Jean Grey
Played by Sadie Sink
The newest addition to the MCU and, so far, one of the most popular and powerful characters of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Jean Grey is a mutant with psychokinetic and telepathic abilities, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. Jean becomes the story’s main villain and Spider-Man’s nemesis as the shadowy, controlling force targeting Damage Control.
A member of the X-Men in the comics, the MCU’s Jean Grey is technically neither a superhero nor a supervillain, but rather a complex character who becomes antagonistic and vengeful due to a deep personal loss. Jean is able to control anyone’s mind she wishes, reading their deepest thoughts and forcing them to do whatever she wants. But somehow, Peter is immune to her abilities, which leads to further hostility between them and some visually stunning action pieces.
2
The Hulk
Played by Mark Ruffalo
After nearly two decades and counting, The Hulk is still unarguably one of the most powerful and complex characters within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Introduced in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, the Hulk has since appeared in 11 major live-action projects, becoming a central character within the MCU. Mark Ruffalo reprises his role of the genius scientist-turned-green humanoid, Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk.
Since Avengers: Endgame, Bruce has controlled his DNA mutation with Gamma radiation using an inhibitor device that turns him green but limits his physical and emotional transformation. In Brand New Day, Bruce is now a professor of quantum mechanics whom Peter seeks out for help with his evolving powers. While Bruce had successfully merged both his personas, turning him into Smart Hulk, Brand New Day also sees him regressing to his earlier destructive persona, Savage Hulk, last seen in Avengers: Infinity War.





