Marvel's 'Brand New Day' Leak Sparks Fury: Spider-Man's Only 'Friend' Is an AI

Marvel Studios has released the first three pages of the script for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the reveal of an artificial intelligence assistant as Peter Parker's only companion has ignited a firestorm of criticism online. The scene depicts Peter, living in isolation after erasing himself from everyone's memory, relying on a homemade AI named E.V. for help with his tech. Fans are calling the choice a betrayal of the character's core identity. Director Destin Daniel Cretton told Entertainment Weekly that the film picks up nine months after Spider-Man: No Way Home. In annotations, he notes that E.V. is “sadly, the closest thing Peter has to a friend.” The internet has reacted with immediate backlash, with one user writing, “Just did the biggest eye roll of my life.” “And just like that, I'm not excited for this movie anymore,” posted another. “I don’t like Peter befriending ChatGPT.” Critics argue that Spider-Man has always relied on his internal monologue and real relationships, not an artificial companion. “Peter Parker is known for his extensive internal dialogue and self-talk,” one fan noted. “The idea of him being so lonely that an AI bot is his best friend is ridiculous.” <h2 id="background">Background</h2> After the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, fans have waited five years for the next MCU Peter Parker film. The plot of Brand New Day follows Peter’s decision to erase himself from the memories of everyone on Earth, including his girlfriend MJ and best friend Ned. He now lives in a rundown apartment, cut off from society and without access to Tony Stark’s resources.<figure style="margin:20px 0"><img src="https://images.fastcompany.com/image/upload/w_1280,q_auto,f_auto,fl_lossy/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit/wp-cms-2/2026/05/p-1-91535483-spider-man-brand-new-day-ai.jpg" alt="Marvel's 'Brand New Day' Leak Sparks Fury: Spider-Man's Only 'Friend' Is an AI" style="width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:8px" loading="lazy"><figcaption style="font-size:12px;color:#666;margin-top:5px">Source: www.fastcompany.com</figcaption></figure> Cretton’s annotations emphasize that “for the first time, Peter is entirely alone.” All of his equipment, including E.V., must be made by Peter himself—a stark contrast to the high-tech gear he once borrowed from Iron Man. The script’s opening scene shows Peter calibrating his targeting matrix with E.V.’s help. <h2 id="what-this-means">What This Means</h2> The decision to give Spider-Man an AI companion has divided fans and raised questions about the character’s future direction. Purists argue that Peter’s greatest strength has always been his support network—friends like Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, or the Avengers. Turning to an AI for friendship “feels like a violation of the character,” one user wrote. Others worry that E.V. will replace Spider-Man’s classic inner monologue, a hallmark of the comics. “Can't the neurotic character that talks to himself just talk to himself?” asked another fan. “We just did a whole Batman movie where he was narrating like Taxi Driver.” The introduction of E.V. may signal a tech-heavy, emotionally detached take on Peter Parker’s post-No Way Home life. Marvel has not responded to the backlash. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to hit theaters in 2026.

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