Film

Every Returning MCU Character Confirmed For Spider-Man: Brand New Day

25 February 2026

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will include several familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As is typical now for a Marvel Studios production (with this being a co-production with Sony Pictures), interconnectivity and crossovers are the name of the game. This has especially been true for the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise.

In the past, we’ve seen everyone from Iron Man and Doctor Strange to Daredevil and Nick Fury make MCU returns in the wall-crawler’s adventures. And once they were introduced in the cinematic universe, even Aunt May and Flash Thompson returned for multiple appearances.

This successful strategy will continue with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as multiple returning MCU characters are confirmed to appear in the Phase 6 event film.

Spider-Man

Played by Tom Holland

The whole world might not remember who Peter Parker is after Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending, but that’s become the launching point for a whole new era as Spider-Man. He’s now broke and without his family, friends, and Spider-Man brothers. Yet, he’s still the friendly neighborhood superhero by the time Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins.

Previous MCU Appearances:

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Tom Holland suits up as the web-slinger once more to lead Brand New Day‘s cast. It’s his fourth solo film and seventh MCU appearance overall. Whether this is his only Marvel movie in 2026 or if he’ll appear in Avengers: Doomsday too remains to be seen.

Hulk

Played by Mark Ruffalo

Bruce Banner’s turbulent MCU story extends to Brand New Day next. After working to merge Banner’s mind with Hulk’s, we met Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. But he’s since found ways to safely revert to his normal human state when necessary (such as to heal his arm) and Hulk out again as needed.

While he’s seemingly mastered control over his two sides, that could all end in Brand New Day. There are signs that the movie will mark the return of Savage Hulk, which is a version of the angry green giant we haven’t truly seen since Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Previous MCU Appearances:

The Incredible Hulk (2008) [played by Edward Norton]
The Avengers (2012)
Iron Man 3 (2013) [post-credits scene]
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Captain Marvel (2019) [post-credits scene]
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) [post-credits scene]
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)

Whether Hulk stays smart or goes savage, it’ll be Mark Ruffalo once again portraying all sides of Banner. This will be Ruffalo’s sixth MCU movie with a proper role, but his 10th appearance in the universe overall. Hulk has a leg up on him, though, thanks to Edward Norton originally portraying the character.

Punisher

Played by Jon Bernthal

One of the most exciting returning MCU characters in Brand New Day is Punisher. The character joined the fabric of this shared universe a decade ago through Marvel TV’s Netflix shows, leaving him to only interact with characters in that realm of New York. Connections to Spider-Man and true MCU crossovers were not feasible for Frank Castle then, but they are now.

After being part of Daredevil: Born Again, which is an official Marvel Studios production, Punisher has seen his MCU future explode. He’ll return in Brand New Day and team up with Spider-Man after starring in his own Disney+ special, which is slated to arrive sometime this year.

Previous MCU Appearances:

Daredevil season 2 (2016)
The Punisher seasons 1 and 2 (2017-2019)
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 (2025)

Through it all, Jon Bernthal has been the one bringing the rageful, violent anti-hero to life. It’ll mark his first MCU movie appearance and give Bernthal another movie with Holland. It’s a full-circle moment for them, as they both helped each other audition for their Marvel roles while filming The Pilgrimage.

Scorpion

Played by Michael Mando

The longevity of the MCU means no tease is ever truly dead and forgotten. After getting introduced to local New York criminal Mac Gargan in Spider-Man: Homecoming nearly a decade ago, whether he was ever going to come back and become the villainous Scorpion became uncertain. Luckily, he is among Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s confirmed villains.

This time, Gargan won’t just be a non-powered criminal. Official artwork for the movie has revealed a proper Scorpion suit for Brand New Day, one that puts him in the green costume fitted with a giant and deadly stinger.

Previous MCU Appearances:

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Scorpion’s return allows Michael Mando to come back as the role he’s only played once before. But after the smaller appearance he had in Homecoming, it appears he’s in line for a much more prominent place in Holland’s fourth solo movie.

MJ

Played by Zendaya

MJ looking at her phone in Spider-Man No Way Home

Mary Jane has been a central figure in Spider-Man’s MCU story, just as she is in the comics, so it’s only natural she’s back for Brand New Day. Even though the world has forgotten about Peter, No Way Home‘s script teased that MJ might still have an inkling of an idea of his identity and their shared history. She’s officially coming back here, which will inevitably help clear up the state of her memory.

Previous MCU Appearances:

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

With MJ back, so is Zendaya, making her fourth MCU appearance. She’s breathed new life into Mary Jane on the big screen to make her and Peter’s relationship one of the strongest parts of the last trilogy. And considering Zendaya and Holland’s real-life relationship, it’s expected that the couple will have their characters resume a romance by the film’s conclusion.

Ned Leeds

Played by Jacob Batalon

Ned Leeds might not remember being Peter’s best friend when Brand New Day starts, but the latter’s memories of that relationship should factor into the new story. Ned spent the previous three movies being Spider-Man’s guy in a chair and comedic relief. How exactly he fits into this next chapter is unclear, but a reunion of sorts is surely in the cards.

Previous MCU Appearances:

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Jacob Batalon is making his sixth MCU appearance through Brand New Day, as he also had the privilege of cameoing in the last two Avengers movies on top of being in all of Holland’s solo films.

That’s where Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s confirmed returning MCU characters end, but there could be several others who pop up between the start of the movie and the end of the credits once it comes out this July to give Marvel fans some extra surprises.