Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Revelation About The Hand Is Bigger Than You Realize

Published Aug 9, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention. Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Spider-Man: Brand New DaySpider-Man: Brand New Day features several different villains and threats for Tom Holland's Peter Parker to face, including a major villain from the Netflix era of MCU shows: The Hand. An ancient ninja organization fought by several street-level heroes including Daredevil and Iron Fist, The Hand's big-screen debut comes with a pretty fascinating reveal, one that could have exciting ramifications for upcoming MCU projects. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been praised for quite a few different successes in the new movie, and one of them is most definitely its expansion of the street-level side of the MCU. It notably gives theatrical debuts to key characters like The Punisher and The Hand who'd only ever been seen on the small screen previously. Furthermore, The Hand is utilized quite well in Brand New Day. Not only is it revealed what The Hand has been doing since their last MCU appearance in the Netflix era of Marvel shows, but their new status quo by Spider-Man: Brand New Day's ending could be a much bigger deal than it seems looking ahead to the future. Spider-Man: Brand New Day Pits Peter Parker Against The Hand In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Hand is introduced in the opening montage, which features the various villains and threats Spider-Man has been dealing with in New York in the years since Spider-Man: No Way Home, while Ned and MJ are at MIT, largely ignoring his civilian life as Peter Parker. During the epic montage recreating famous comic book covers, Spider-Man is shown taking on an entire faction of The Hand, with the news reporting on their clashes. As such, the opportunity to see the ninja warriors nearly a decade since their last MCU appearance in Marvel's Netflix shows is very cool. That said, the most surprising twist comes when it's revealed that rather than incarcerating these members of The Hand, the Department of Damage Control has instead recruited the ninja warriors as part of their security apparatus on the orders of Director Bill Metzger (Trammell Tillman). Friendly Neighborhood Assessment · MCU Era Tom Holland'sSpider-Man Trivia 🏠Homecoming2017 ✈️Far From Home2019 🌌No Way Home2021 😈VillainsSinister… 🤖MCUAvengers THWIP! LET'S GO → 01 Before getting his own solo film, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut by being recruited by Tony Stark to help in a massive superhero conflict. In which MCU film did Holland first appear as Spider-Man? AAvengers: Age of Ultron BCaptain America: Civil War CSpider-Man: Homecoming DAvengers: Infinity War ✓ Correct! Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (2016), where Tony Stark visits Peter in Queens and recruits him for the airport battle against Team Cap. His quippy, starstruck portrayal instantly won over audiences. ✗ Web miss! The answer is Captain America: Civil War. Holland debuted in the 2016 film before Homecoming (2017). He was recruited by Tony Stark for the iconic airport fight scene, stealing Captain America’s shield with his webs in one of the film’s most memorable moments. NEXT → 02 In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter faces a blue-collar salvage contractor who turned to arms dealing after being shut out of the Chitauri cleanup by Damage Control. Using an alien-tech wingsuit, he becomes one of Spider-Man’s most grounded villains. Who is he? AThe Vulture (Adrian Toomes) BThe Shocker (Herman Schultz) CThe Scorpion (Mac Gargan) DThe Tinkerer (Phineas Mason) ✓ Correct! Adrian Toomes, played brilliantly by Michael Keaton, is the Vulture — a working-class father who builds a criminal empire selling alien-derived weapons. The twist that he’s the father of Peter’s date Liz is one of the MCU’s best surprises. ✗ Web miss! The answer is The Vulture (Adrian Toomes). The Shocker and Tinkerer are his henchmen in the film, and Scorpion (Mac Gargan) only briefly appears. Toomes is the main antagonist who personally confronts Peter in the unforgettable car ride scene. NEXT → 03 Tony Stark built Peter a high-tech suit loaded with features Peter didn’t even know about, including an AI assistant that helps him in combat, provides tactical analysis, and even gives dating advice. What name does Peter give this AI? AFriday BEdith CKaren DJocasta ✓ Correct! Peter names his suit’s AI “Karen,” voiced by Jennifer Connelly. She assists him with web shooter modes, reconnaissance, and even his love life. Friday is Tony Stark’s AI, and E.D.I.T.H. is the Stark satellite system that appears in Far From Home. ✗ Web miss! The answer is Karen. Friday is Tony Stark’s personal AI, E.D.I.T.H. is the Stark defense satellite Peter inherits in Far From Home, and Jocasta is an AI from the comics. Karen, voiced by Jennifer Connelly, is Peter’s suit assistant throughout Homecoming. NEXT → 04 In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter encounters a seemingly heroic figure who claims to be from an alternate Earth, battling elemental creatures across Europe. In reality, he’s a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee using advanced holographic drones. What is his real name? AWilliam Ginter Riva BAldrich Killian CJustin Hammer DQuentin Beck ✓ Correct! Quentin Beck, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is Mysterio — a master of illusion who uses Stark Industries’ B.A.R.F. holographic technology and weaponized drones to fabricate the Elementals and pose as a hero. His final act of revenge shapes the entire third film. ✗ Web miss! The answer is Quentin Beck. William Ginter Riva is one of Beck’s team members, Aldrich Killian is the villain of Iron Man 3, and Justin Hammer is from Iron Man 2. Beck is Mysterio, the illusionist who manipulated Peter’s trust across Europe. NEXT → 05 In one of the MCU’s most shocking mid-credits scenes, J. Jonah Jameson broadcasts doctored footage from Mysterio’s final moments that completely upends Peter Parker’s life. What does this broadcast reveal to the entire world? AThat Spider-Man killed Mysterio in cold blood BThat Spider-Man is Peter Parker CThat Spider-Man is a Skrull impersonator DThat Spider-Man commanded the drone attack on London ✓ Correct! Mysterio’s doctored footage, broadcast by J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons reprising his iconic role), exposes Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker to the entire world. This revelation drives the entire plot of No Way Home as Peter desperately seeks to undo the damage. ✗ Web miss! The answer is that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While the footage also frames Spider-Man for the London drone attack, the earth-shattering reveal is Peter’s unmasked identity being broadcast globally by The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson. NEXT → 06 With his identity exposed and his loved ones under threat, Peter seeks help from a powerful sorcerer to cast a spell that would make the world forget he is Spider-Man. Peter’s constant modifications to the spell cause it to fracture the multiverse. Which sorcerer casts this spell? AWong BWanda Maximoff CDoctor Strange DKarl Mordo ✓ Correct! Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts the memory-wiping spell at Peter’s request, but Peter keeps asking for exceptions — for MJ, Ned, May, and Happy to still remember him. These constant changes corrupt the spell and tear open the multiverse, pulling in villains from other Spider-Man universes. ✗ Web miss! The answer is Doctor Strange. While Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme and actually warns Strange against it, it is Stephen Strange who agrees to cast the spell. Wanda’s multiverse interference occurs in Multiverse of Madness, not here. NEXT → 07 Throughout all three films, Peter’s loyal best friend serves as his “guy in the chair,” helping with tech support and keeping his secret. In No Way Home, this character even discovers he can open magical portals using a Sling Ring. Who is Peter’s best friend? ANed Leeds BFlash Thompson CHarry Osborn DMiles Morales ✓ Correct! Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon, is Peter’s best friend and self-proclaimed “guy in the chair.” He discovers Peter’s secret identity in Homecoming, supports him across all three films, and in No Way Home he accidentally uses Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to open portals to other Spider-Men. ✗ Web miss! The answer is Ned Leeds. Flash Thompson is Peter’s rival and bully who ironically idolizes Spider-Man. Harry Osborn is Peter’s friend in the Raimi and Webb films but doesn’t appear in Holland’s trilogy. Miles Morales is only hinted at. Ned is the irreplaceable “guy in the chair.” NEXT → 08 At the emotional climax of No Way Home, Peter makes an enormous personal sacrifice to save the multiverse. Doctor Strange completes the spell, and when it takes effect, Peter is left completely alone. What does the final spell do? AIt sends Peter to an alternate universe where no one knows him BIt erases Spider-Man from existence entirely CIt removes Peter’s spider powers permanently DIt makes everyone in every universe forget who Peter Parker is ✓ Correct! The final spell makes every person in every universe forget that Peter Parker exists. MJ, Ned, Happy, the Avengers — everyone. Peter visits MJ at the coffee shop afterward but decides not to re-introduce himself, choosing to protect them. He starts over completely alone, sewing his own suit in a small apartment. ✗ Web miss! The answer is that everyone forgets who Peter Parker is. The spell doesn’t erase Spider-Man — people still know the hero exists — but nobody remembers Peter Parker the person. This devastating sacrifice means MJ, Ned, and even Happy Hogan have no memory of him at all. REVEAL MY SCORE → Assessment Complete Your Spider-Sense Rating / 8 Are you an Avenger — or just a friendly neighborhood bystander? ↻ SWING AGAIN By the end of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the darker truth is exposed: Metzger saw The Hand's potential not as a general security force, but as a dedicated task force to deal with Spider-Man specifically if he ever fell out of line. Sure enough, The Hand is dispatched to fight the Webslinger when he arrives to try and help Sadie Sink's Jean Grey (whom the DODC was brutally experimenting on to try and replicate her powers). Although working for the DODC may seem like a left-field move for The Hand, it actually makes a fair amount of sense considering their MCU history. The Hand's Netflix History Explains Their Connection To Damage Control 2017's Defenders crossover series brought Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist together for the first time to take on The Hand. By the series' end, various factions of The Hand suffered a major blow, with several of its leaders being defeated. This included Elektra Natchios, who'd just been resurrected/corrupted to serve as The Hand's powerful "Black Sky", only to take command of the full ninja clan before she herself was lost during the collapse of the Midland Circle building. As was shown across the various Marvel shows on Netflix, The Hand was a wide-reaching organization with multiple factions, and even had younger recruits at a training dojo/facility in New York. Keeping that in mind, Metzger eventually stepping in as a new leadership figure does make sense, apparently giving some of the remaining warriors new goals and greater purpose as part of the DODC. That being said, the logical question in the aftermath of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is what becomes of The Hand going forward? After all, Metzger's covert work and brutal experimenting on Jean Grey and her sister (who was killed by the DODC) were exposed. As such, the movie confirmed that Metzger had fled, with his whereabouts unknown, as he's apparently gone underground. As such, this will likely leave The Hand without leadership once again. That being said, this could end up being a perfect setup for an upcoming MCU project, with The Hand potentially returning to the small screen next year. The Hand May Return Sooner Than You Think (MCU Theory Explained) It's worth noting that Elodie Yung's Elektra Natchios is reportedly set to return in Daredevil: Born Again season 3. However, it's not yet known if she'll be returning as an ally and Matt Murdock's former love interest, or still as the corrupted Black Sky seeking immortality. If Elektra does return as the Black Sky in next year's Daredevil: Born Again season 3, it's not hard to imagine that she could potentially try and reclaim control of The Hand, or at least certain factions of the ancient ninja organization. After all, the Black Sky was revered by some members almost as a savior-like figure meant to lead them all, not unlike The Hand's worship of the demon known as The Beast in the comics. It would give Marvel Studios an easy and natural way to maintain The Hand's new relevant post-Brand New Day as a major ongoing threat in New York City. On the other hand, Elektra returning as a lighter figure as a Daredevil ally seeking redemption for the past could be just as exciting when it comes to The Hand's involvement. Perhaps together, Elektra and Daredevil could reunite and form The Fist, the opposing force to The Hand as seen in recent Daredevil arcs seen on the page. Following two seasons of Wilson Fisk's rise and fall as New York's mayor, it would be very cool to see new threats like The Hand rising once more, perhaps even with an adaptation of the beloved "Shadowland" arc, one of Matt Murdock's darkest and most fascinating storylines from the comics. Either way, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has absolutely positioned the Hand for a much bigger future in the MCU. The movie not only established their survival post-Defenders, but also sets them up for new prominence in the MCU going forward following their work with Damage Control. With Metzger gone, it's hard to imagine the ninja clan still working for the DODC, meaning the future is wide open for the classic ninja organization. Hopefully, Marvel Studios already has plans in the works to take full advantage. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters from Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures. Release Date July 29, 2026 Runtime 145 minutes Director Destin Daniel Cretton Writers Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers Producers Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Amy Pascal, David Cain Cast Peter Parker / Spider-Man