Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out, and we still don't know who Eman Esfandi is playing (aside from being MJ's new boyfriend, of course). Some fans believe they've figured it out, but given the new influx of wild fan theories... I'm not so sure.
Warning: Mild spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day below!
The common belief seems to be that Esfandi is playing Paul Rabin, who made his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 6 #1. One fan says that the open captions screenings of Spider-Man: Brand New Day list the actor's character name as Paul, though Esfandi is only listed as "The Boyfriend" in the movie's credits. Until we have public proof of this, however, all we can do is speculate.
In the comics, Peter and Mary Jane encounter Paul after entering his universe while fighting a villain known as the Emissary. Long story short, Mary Jane ends up accidentally sending Peter back to Earth-616 and ends up stuck with Paul for four whole years... and they end up adopting two children. Could Esfandi's new character be Paul?
Well, some other fans think MJ's new boyfriend is either Tarantula, or Boomerang. There's really no basis for either theory other than the characters have similar facial features to Esfandi, but one fan pointed out that there'd be some funny irony in MJ dating a "knock-off" version of Peter, seeing as Tarantula is more or less just that (though much scarier looking in appearance). Another theory, though not as popular, is that Esfandi is playing Harry Osborn (and that the job MJ turns down was indeed a position at OsCorp).
We're not sure if Marvel will go to Sadie Sink-levels of secrecy to keep the identity of Esfandi's character on the low... but a Paul confirmation could be coming our way sooner or later.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in theaters now. For more, check out our breakdowns of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending and Spider-Man: Brand New Day post-credits scene.
