Spider-Man: Brand New Day has swung into theaters as we finally pick up with Tom Holland's Peter Parker after the world forgot who he was. Set four years after the events of No Way Home, the new movie sees Spider-Man living a lonely life, solving crimes and stopping bad guys by night and keeping his head down during the day. However, when an enemy he can't see begins to threaten those he loves, Peter must confront his past again.
With so much going on in the Marvel Phase 6 movie, you'd be forgiven if you missed all of the references that director Destin Daniel Cretton snuck in there. Well, that's where we come in. Below, we have used our Spidey-senses to compile a comprehensive list of every Spider-Man: Brand New Day Easter egg and cameo we spotted in the MCU movie – and there are a lot.
From comic book references and niche Spider-Man villains, to pop culture nods and MCU mentions, we've combed through every frame of Brand New Day to bring you all the moments you missed. Naturally, we'll be getting into heavy spoiler-territory from here on out as well, so make sure that you've seen Spider-Man 4 before reading on.
Every Spider-Man: Brand New Day Easter egg, listed
E.V. Peter Parker has a new AI helping assistant called E.V. While she doesn't have any history in the comics or the MCU so far, it seems Parker has been inspired by Tony Stark's tech and trusty assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. for his new companion.
Amazing Spider-Man covers: During an early montage scene of Spider-Man facing up against some iconic comic book villains, the web-slinger also recreates some pretty cool covers from the Amazing Spider-Man run. We spotted the covers of Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #134 from the Tarantula scene, The Amazing Spider-Man #345 in the Boomerang scene and Amazing Spider-Man #221 for Ramrod's appearance.
Coffee cup from No Way Home: At the very end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker goes to visit MJ at work in a donut shop to grab a coffee. He still has the cup from their interaction sitting on his desk at the start of Brand New Day.
Street destroyed in Avengers: When Spidey swings onto a New York City street you can overhear a bus tour explaining that this is the same street that was destroyed in the Battle of New York back in the first Avengers movie.
BERO: In the bodega where Peter sees Ned buying caffeine drinks and beer before heading to a party, you can see some of Tom Holland's own alcohol-free beer brand BERO on sale in the shop.
Mysterious job offer: During the house party, Ned asks MJ how her interview went. She says she got the job but turned it down because she's not sure she wants to work for that specific company. No names are mentioned but our money is that this could be Oscorp, the morally grey tech and chemical enterprise run by Norman Osborn.
Saint Ryder posters: There are some Saint Ryder posters plastered around New York City in the background of Brand New Day. These could be a subtle nod to Richard "Rich" Rider, also known as Nova, after the announcement that a Nova movie was in the works for the MCU.
Bellevue Hospital: When Scorpion is being transferred under the mind control of Jean Grey, she sends the helicopter to Bellevue Hospital, which is an iconic location from the Marvel comics. It's been mentioned in everything from Daredevil to Thor.
Yelena's references: When Peter goes to see Yelena in her "office", she mentions the Red Room as Peter is wondering if Jean Grey's mind control works similarly. Explored in Black Widow, this was the Soviet-Russian program that trained young girls to become assassins.
The New Avengers: We get a reference to the work that Yelena is currently doing post Thunderbolts in the movie as well. She tells Parker that he's working on "small potato" stuff while the New Avengers are dealing with bigger threats.
Damage Control / Bill Metzger: Damage Control and William 'Bill' Metzger are also pulled right from the Marvel comics, but Spider-Man has combined them. Historically Metzger was an anti-mutant activist and Damage Control had its own comic book run as a company cleaning up superhero messes.
Naruto: In Ned's room, he has a poster of Naruto. This is director Daniel Destin Cretton's next film.
Spider-Man investigation: There are lots of fun details on Ned's Spider-Man board. One post-it note reads, "Could he be British?", which is a reference to actor Holland's nationality. Roger Harrington and Flash Thompson also appear as potential Spider-Man suspects
"Friendly neighbor": Zendaya's MJ has a fun nod to the "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" moniker that Peter Parker often is called. When he gives her flowers at the party, she calls him a "friendly neighbor".
Maynard: Peter Parker introduces himself as Maynard to Ned and MJ, which is a niche comic book reference to the character Maynard Tiboldt, also known as the Ringmaster.
Peter 2: When his arachnid hormones start increasing, Peter gets organic webbing, which he's never had before. When he tries to learn how to use it, he mentions that Peter 2 has this. This is Tobey Maguire's Spidey, who he met during the events of No Way Home.
Empire State University: Bruce Banner is working as a professor at the Empire State University, which is an Ivy League college drawn straight from the pages of the Marvel comics. It was first introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #31.
Thanos gag: One of Banner's students has a question about Thanos, asking if he was so concerned about overpopulation, why didn't he just make more food with the Infinity Gauntlet. This is in reference to several plot holes that have circled the character for years, questioning Thanos' decision to snap away half the population.
Peter and MJ's kiss: On the rooftop, Peter Parker and MJ share a kiss that's similar to several iconic Spider-Man ones. She rolls up the bottom of his mask, just like in the upside down alley kiss in Tobey Maguire's 2002 Spider-Man.
Catching MJ: Another iconic Spider-Man moment follows when MJ is thrown off the roof during Jean Grey's mind control. Spider-Man manages to catch her, but we know that this doesn't always happen in the webslinger's history, just like in the heartbreaking The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Mayor Fisk poster: In the alleyway, there are some Mayor Fisk posters. Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place after the events of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 and Fisk is currently mayor of New York City.
Punisher's boat: Peter brings MJ to Frank Castle's hideout to keep her safe, but the locale is actually also a comics reference. He's standing on Golden Girl, the same boat that is featured in Gerry Conway's Spectacular Spider-Man run.
Punisher's family: We also see pictures of Frank Castle's family on the boat as MJ asks a question about them. Those familiar with Frank's backstory will know that his family, a wife and two children, were killed, which is what turned him into a vigilante.
Shocker's Gauntlet: During the fight against the Hulk (being controlled by Jean Grey) at Damage Control, Spider-Man uses Shocker's gauntlet, which was last wielded back in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Scarlet Witch: Bruce Banner says "not again" when he wakes up from Jean Grey's mind control. This is in reference to the last time he was controlled by Wanda Maximoff in Age of Ultron.
Spider-Man 1960s theme: Ned's Spidey Tracker uses the iconic theme from Spider-Man's '60s cartoon.
Star Wars: There are several Star Wars references in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, all linked to Ned. He has a Chewbacca figure in his room, is watching Empire Strikes Back at one point, and is later building what seems to be an X-Wing LEGO set.
Lord of the Rings: Spider-Man and Ned also bond over their love of The Lord of the Rings, quoting the iconic "keep your secrets" scene between Frodo and Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Macaroni fiend: Yelena's screen name when Peter calls her up is a reference to Hawkeye when she meets Kate Bishop. She breaks into her apartment and makes a pot of boxed mac and cheese.
Insomniac moves: Tom Holland has said that several of his finishing moves in Spider-Man: Brand New Day were inspired by Insomniac's Spider-Man game.
Stranger Things: Before playing Jean Grey in the MCU, Sadie Sink's most famous role is as Max in Stranger Things. When she's running in slow motion to save her sister we got serious 'Running Up That Hill' vibes.
Responsibility: Spider-Man's most famous quote gets another nod from Aunt May. When she's speaking to Jean Grey during a flashback vision, she talks to her about her "biggest responsibility" of being so powerful.
Tony Stark: During Peter's dream sequence with Jean Grey and Aunt May, the paper bag that Tony Stark gave him can be seen in the background. Written on it is "This belongs to you – T.S.", which is the bag that Stark returned Peter's costume in back in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
MJ's necklace: Right at the end of the movie, MJ can be seen holding on tightly to a necklace. This is the broken Black Dahlia pendant necklace Peter gave her back in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Every Spider-Man: Brand New Day cameo, listed
Boomerang
During an early montage sequence, we see a whole host of Spider-Man villains appear in quick succession. Boomerang is one of them. The character also known as Frederick Myers was an Australian-born Spider-Man rogue who was first introduced in 1966. Known for his skills throwing boomerangs as his opponents, he's faced Daredevil, been a part of a version of the Sinister Six, and joined the Thunderbolts across his storied career. In Brand New Day, he just appears very quickly throwing his signature weapon at Peter Parker.
Ramrod
Ramrod is another Spider-Man villain who appears in the Brand New Day montage. He's quite a deep-cut character who was an ordinary man transformed into a cyborg. Over his comic book appearances, he's come up against Daredevil, Black Widow, and Spider-Man.
Tarantula
Tarantula, otherwise known as Anton Miguel Rodriguez, appeared briefly in the fight against Spider-Man too. He is an original Spidey villain, debuting back in 1975 in the Marvel comics. In his human form, he's just an ordinary man, albeit a very agile and adept fighter. However, he could also mutate into a spider form, which gave him superhuman strength and durability.
Tombstone
Tombstone has a slightly bigger cameo during this villain sequence, as he's questioned by Jean DeWolff. Played by Marvin "Krondon" Jones III, this is the second time that we've seen the character in a Spider-Man movie. Krondon previously voiced an alternate version of the role in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. However, this is the first time he's appeared in live action. Real name Lonnie Lincoln, Tombstone is a Marvel supervillain in the comics and a notorious New York City crime boss who often comes up against Spider-Man and Daredevil.
Manfredi Crime Family
Another blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearance in the villains sequence are the Manfredi Crime Syndicate. They've appeared in some pretty deep cut MCU moments in the past, including the character of Joseph Manfredi appearing in Marvel's Agent Carter season 2. They also appeared in a deleted scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home where he took down the Maggia-affiliated Manfredi family before his European trip. The sequence was reportedly cut when the action moved away from New York City so it makes a lot of sense for it to be brought back in Brand New Day, which focuses on life in the city.
The Boyfriend
Ahsoka star Eman Esfandi appears very briefly in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as MJ's boyfriend. We see them together at her house party, which breaks Peter Parker's heart. Later in the film, MJ tells Peter that her boyfriend thinks she's a "withholding" person and he jokes that he sounds like an arsehole.
While we don't know what he's called in the movie (he's only referred to as 'The Boyfriend'), we have a theory that this may be Harry Osborn. As the son of Green Goblin (Norman Osborn), he's a key Spider-Man character who often appears as Peter's best friend. Given that MJ has a mysterious job offer too, which could be from Oscorp, we wouldn't be surprised if these characters are being set up for another Spider-Man movie.
Yelena
Kevin Feige might have spoiled Yelena's appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it's always a treat to see Florence Pugh back as Black Widow. She appears briefly in two scenes in the new movie in a consulting role for Spider-Man while he tries to figure out what Jean Grey is up to. She operates out of a bath house, which she calls her office, providing a lot of humor in her few moments on screen. Yelena also moves the plot along nicely, making reference to the work that the New Avengers are doing ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
Sara Grey
When we finally learn more about Jean Grey's backstory in the third act of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we find out that she had a sister. Sara Grey shares the same powers as Jean Grey, growing up in the foster system with her sister. During one moving scene, the pair use them in the park, bonding over being all that each other has. Played by Olivia Booth-Ford in the film, sadly Sara does not get a happy ending. She's killed during experimentation on her by Bill Metsker, leading Jean on a path of revenge. Interestingly, Sara is pulled straight from the Marvel comics, but her storyline in those is a little different.
Aunt May
Marisa Tomei returns as Aunt May in Spider-Man: Brand New Day in several flashback/dream sequences. She was killed in No Way Home and Peter Parker is mourning her loss throughout Spider-Man 4, bringing flowers to her grave constantly. In the movie's third act she appears in a sequence with Jean Grey where she gives her some advice about how "scary" the world can be with so much power. It's a turning point for Jean, and another person who May has helped. It's good to have her back, even briefly.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out in UK cinemas now and US theaters on July 31. For more, check out our Spider-Man: Brand New Day review and our breakdown of how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
