Peter Parker is not the only one whose life changed after Spider-Man: No Way Home. MJ has moved on, and the man standing in Peter’s place has fans buzzing well before the movie even hits theaters.
The reveal came in the very first Brand New Day trailer, which reset the franchise’s emotional stakes entirely. Because Doctor Strange erased the world’s memory of Peter Parker at the end of No Way Home, MJ has no idea her old friend ever existed, let alone that he was Spider-Man. Four years later, she has built a life without him, one that now includes someone new standing at her side.
Who Plays MJ’s New Boyfriend In Brand New Day?
The role belongs to Eman Esfandi, an actor genre fans will already recognize. He currently plays Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka, and his casting as MJ’s new love interest was confirmed the moment the character first appeared onscreen.
What has not been confirmed is who the character actually is within Marvel‘s story. The leading theory ties him to Paul, a controversial figure introduced in Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s 2022 Amazing Spider-Man run, where he built a life with MJ while Peter was trapped in another dimension.
Paul is generally a decent, likable guy in the comics, yet a segment of fans still resents him purely for standing in Peter’s way.
A separate fan theory once suggested Esfandi could be playing Boomerang in disguise, but that idea appears to have cooled. Director Destin Daniel Cretton shared a set photo highlighting the film’s costume department, which included an actor in the Boomerang suit, and the build did not match Esfandi’s, undercutting the theory before the film even opened.
Whether or not Marvel is adapting Paul directly, the setup mirrors the comics almost beat-for-beat: Peter watching from the outside while MJ appears genuinely happy with someone else. That alone has been enough to spark strong reactions from longtime readers heading into release.
Fans will not have to wait much longer to find out exactly who he is. Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters tomorrow, July 31.