The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to a steady stream of content hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. There are a few highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies coming down the line, chief among them being Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Rumors are swirling about what might go down with that project, and a new one claims that a Star Wars actor might be playing the new boyfriend of Zendaya's MJ.
What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is super limited, so fans have been filling in the blanks with rumors and theories about what might be coming. Folks are particularly curious about how the narrative will continue after No Way Home's ending, which saw the entire world (including MJ and Ned) lose their memories of Peter Parker. A report by scooper Daniel Ricthman claims that MJ will have a new love interest as a result, and that he might be played by Ahsoka actor Eman Esfandi.
This is just a rumor at this point, so we should probably take it with a grain of salt for the time being. But if MJ has no memory of her relationship with Peter, it seems logical that she could have gotten involved with someone else. But since Zendaya will reportedly have a reduced role in the movie, folks who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are definitely paying attention.
Esfandi made a splash in Ahsoka, as the first actor to play fan favorite Star Wars character Ezra Bridger in live-action. While it remains to be seen if he actually has a role in Brand New Day, Ahsoka Season 2 is coming, so he's expected to appear there. But with the next Spider-Man movie arriving in theaters this summer, we should hopefully get some concrete information about it from the studio sooner rather than later. After all, teasers for Avengers: Doomsday are already arriving online.
As previously mentioned, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is going to be directed by Shang-Chi filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton. This marks the first installment the MCU franchise that wasn't helmed by Jon Watts, so the pressure is on. Fans are also curious to see how the movie's action will be different, considering just how epic the battles were in Simu Liu's 2021 blockbuster.
Anticipation for the project has been steadily building, partly thanks to the various heroes who will be joining Holland throughout its mysterious runtime. Both Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk are set to appear in the project, as well as Sadie Sink's mysterious role.
All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we get more information about Zendaya's role soon.
