Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s response has been beyond expectations as fans are rushing to the theaters to catch Tom Holland reprising his role as Peter Parker. Yet, while most viewers are preoccupied with the action, the multiverse fallout, and Peter’s most recent challenges, the film subtly incorporates numerous details that are easily overlooked. Director Destin Daniel Cretton and his team have slipped in comic-book references, familiar names, and a few details that may have significance beyond the confines of this story.
Scorpion, Tombstone, Tarantula, Ramrod, and Boomerang are among the classic Spider-Man villains referenced heavily. The movie also draws heavy visual inspiration from imagery that will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has been reading comics for a long time. But some of the best Easter eggs are hidden in character names, background details, and conversations. A few of these are just fun repeats, but others raise questions about the possible future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These five details may have even been missed by fans who were paying close attention.
Skaar, Son of the Hulk, Continues to Be a Big Player in the MCU
One of the smaller Easter eggs is revealed during one of Peter’s interactions with Bruce Banner. As Peter begins to experience weird things with his powers, he goes to Banner for help. Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, is currently a professor at Empire State University. On Banner’s desk during their conversation is a photograph of Skaar, Bruce’s son.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finished with the introduction of Skaar, but since then, Marvel hasn’t done much with the character. His appearance in Brand New Day doesn’t necessarily mean we’re about to get a huge storyline, but it does confirm that Skaar is still a big part of Banner’s life in the MCU. It’s worth noting how many characters have been left hanging after being introduced in Marvel’s Disney+ shows.
And the photo seems to be more than a mere piece of set dressing. TheWrap asked about the detail, and Cretton reportedly smiled and said, “I’m happy that people are noticing that detail.” Of course, the answer doesn’t confirm anything about Skaar’s future, but it does hint that the filmmakers knew what kind of response they would get from fans when they saw the image. It’s clear that Marvel did not forget about Skaar, whether it leads to a future plotline or is simply a reminder of his existence.
Have You Seen Cindy Moon?
There’s another detail that’s easy to miss during the university scenes. In Banner’s lecture, one of the students raising her hand to ask a question is Cindy Moon. Fans of comic books will know the name Cindy Moon immediately, as it is the real name of Silk, a superhero who has the same backstory involving a radioactive spider as Spider-Man.
What’s especially interesting is that Cindy Moon isn’t a brand-new character to the MCU. We saw a student with that name in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and she made a brief appearance in Avengers: Infinity War. Silk was played by a different actress, and neither appearance officially established her as the superhero. Brand New Day never draws any sort of direct link between this Cindy and the superhero of the comics, so we don’t have any sort of confirmation that Marvel is preparing to introduce Silk.
The return of the name after such a long period of time is a detail that is sure to spark conversation among fans. Marvel has a long history of quietly introducing comic-book identities before eventually giving those characters much larger roles. It’s certainly fun to have the name Cindy Moon in a film that’s already full of Spider-Man references, but perhaps it’s just another sly nod to the film’s committed fanbase.
Does MJ’s New Boyfriend Really Have to Be Called Paul Rabin?
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of Spider-Man’s story following the events of No Way Home is his interactions with MJ. The spell that erased Peter from the minds of all people also erased him from MJ’s life, and she had no memory of their relationship. In Brand New Day, Peter is forced to face the reality that MJ has moved on and is seeing someone else.
The character is played by Eman Esfandi, although the official credits list him as “MJ’s Boyfriend.” But that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating what the character is actually supposed to be. In some screenings, people have mentioned the subtitles calling him Paul, which immediately led to speculation that he could be Paul Rabin, a controversial Spider-Man comic character who eventually becomes romantically involved with Mary Jane.
If deliberate, that would be quite a loaded reference. Peter and Mary Jane’s messy comic book past, combined with Paul Rabin’s relationship with MJ, have combined to make him such a polarizing character among Spider-Man readers. As of now, there is no official confirmation that Esfandi’s character is Paul Rabin, so it’s best to treat this as pure speculation. But if Marvel deliberately picked that name, it would be one of the more interesting comic references hidden in the film.
Could MJ’s Corporate Job Offer Hint at Oscorp?
Another MJ-related incident may get a lot more mileage from Spider-Man fans. The film shows her being offered a job with a major company, which she turned down because she did not want to work for what she calls a “soulless corporation.” The phrase immediately calls up Oscorp, even though there’s no company name to speak of.
Norman Osborn has a close relationship with Oscorp, one of the most important companies in the Spider-Man universe. Interestingly, the MCU has never established its own version of Oscorp within the main timeline. Even Spider-Man: No Way Home made fun of this fact when Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn arrived from another universe and found out that there was no Oscorp in the MCU reality he had landed in.
Those familiar with the comics might interpret MJ’s comment as a cheeky reference. But it’s also possible that Marvel is quietly laying the groundwork for a bigger project. If the MCU does eventually bring in its own Norman Osborn, then the company’s introduction will feel a lot more organic if Oscorp is already lurking in the background. There is nothing in Brand New Day to indicate this is the way the story is going, but this is exactly the sort of seemingly inconsequential statement that can blossom into a far more interesting story down the line.
Peter’s Artificial Intelligence Voice Has a Funny Connection With Tom Holland
The final Easter egg is a bit of an outlier, in that it deals with Tom Holland’s career path, not the Marvel universe. In the film, Peter uses a new artificial intelligence assistant called E.V. who is voiced by Naomi Watts. To most viewers, this may be just another recognizable voice attached to Peter’s technology, but there is a nice connection between the two actors that lies beneath the casting.
Holland and Watts were previously seen in the 2012 drama The Impossible, which chronicled the Indian Ocean tsunami. Holland was just 14 when he starred as the son of Watts’ character in the film, one of his first major roles on the big screen. The two have re-teamed in a film that’s totally different from their previous work, over a decade later, but this time, Watts isn’t playing Holland’s mother. She is lending her voice to an AI that helps direct his Spider-Man.
It’s a minor connection and there’s no reason to believe it’s connected to the bigger MCU narrative. But it’s the kind of behind-the-scenes detail that makes a rewatch more enjoyable. Holland moved from playing Watts’ troubled teenage son in The Impossible to having her voice his Peter Parker’s digital companion. And for fans of both films, it’s a pleasant surprise to find a surprisingly sweet little reunion tucked away inside a giant superhero blockbuster.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is filled with Easter eggs for the experienced Marvel fan to dig into, but these examples show that not all Easter eggs require a big villain or a multiverse reveal. Some of the references are for comic book fans, some are meant to set up future stories. Others are just fun nods for viewers who know the characters and the people who made the movie. The most interesting question, of course, is always the same with Marvel: which of these seemingly minor details will ultimately prove significant?