The Hand is About to Be Big For the MCU
Fans who watched Netflix’s gritty Marvel shows will have had a fairly broad portrait of the Hand painted for them, but it will likely be Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s responsibility to briefly explain what it is to anyone who is a strict enjoyer of Disney- or Spider-Man-related MCU content and hasn’t had an opportunity to learn about it. For the presently uninitiated, the Hand is an order of mystical ninjas that has had its claws embedded in organized crime in New York City, and that in and of itself is an extraordinarily fun and enigmatic route for any Marvel IP to explore.
As far as the MCU is concerned, the Hand debuted in the original Daredevil TV show and was prominent throughout Netflix’s Marvel outings, including Iron Fist and The Defenders. However, they’re about to become tremendously popular and have a lot of daylight shed on them soon after appearing in what looks like at least two different Spider-Man: Brand New Day scenes.
It’s anyone’s guess as to why Spider-Man is fighting the Hand in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, especially since it’s unlikely that its red-clad ninjas will be the main antagonist force in the movie. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a melting pot of eclectic villain characters already, and yet the Hand is the sorest thumb sticking out of the bunch due to how immense and powerful its order is, as well as how complicated and indulgent it could make the movie’s otherwise humble, ‘friendly neighborhood’ narrative.
The most believable theory suggests that Spider-Man could find himself encountering the Hand due to Daredevil and/or Punisher, who’re intimately connected to the Hand in Marvel comic book source material, and that they may be digitally erased from the trailer to avoid prematurely spoiling their involvement in the plot. Either way, Spider-Man catching and shattering a ninja’s sword with organic webbing is exhilarating, and it’ll be fascinating to see how the Hand is woven into the fabric of the story.
The Hand is Marvel’s Secret Weapon
Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s story is already potentially afflicted with the same malady that cursed Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is that there were too many villains and story beats to juggle. For instance, based on Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s first trailer, we know Peter Parker will be busy investigating a telepathic character and yearning for Michelle Jones-Watson.
Peter will also be experiencing a “rebirth” that may manifest as a Man-Spider mutation, which he will seek help for from Empire State University professor Dr. Bruce Banner (who’s possibly Peter’s teacher, assuming Peter is wearing a collegiate sweater as an actual enrolled student).
The Hand wouldn’t be added to Spider-Man: Brand New Day idly, or if it wasn’t going to play a sizable role in the MCU. In fact, reintroducing the Hand in this upcoming summer blockbuster is debatably the smartest tactic Marvel could have devised, as it will ensure that all MCU fans are made aware of it and learn all they need to know about it before they appear again elsewhere in the franchise.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
- Director
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Destin Daniel Cretton