If you went into Spider-Man: Brand New Day hoping for a lot of Ned, your viewing experience was probably a mixed bag. On the one hand, Ned is less plot-relevant to the new movie than arguably any of the others. So, he’s just around a lot less, at least in key moments. On the other hand, because he’s less plot-relevant, Brand New Day lets him get back to being the change-of-pace comedic relief we saw in the first movie, which is a big win for the character.
It’s also a big win for me. I’ve been screaming into all five boroughs since the second movie that Marvel would get more out of Ned if they showed him less. MCU superfans have looked at me like I’ve been some mean-spirited hater, but Brand New Day has me feeling vindicated. Ned is at his best as soon as you start missing him and he suddenly pops in with some dumb, lovable comment. He’s not at his best when he’s in half the scenes or pretending to be the Sorcerer Supreme.
