The last time we saw Peter Parker, nobody in the world remembered who he was. Along the way, he had become an Avenger, faced Thanos, lost Tony Stark, watched Aunt May die and made one final sacrifice that changed his life forever.

If it's been a while since you watched the previous Spider-Man films, here's a complete recap before ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ lands in cinemas.
Peter Parker was already Spider-Man when we met him

Unlike earlier Spider-Man films, Marvel skipped Peter Parker's origin story. There was no radioactive spider bite or retelling of Uncle Ben's death. Instead, audiences met a teenage Peter who was already protecting the streets of Queens in a homemade suit.

His life changed when Tony Stark knocked on his door and recruited him during the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’. Peter was given a new Spider-Man suit packed with advanced technology and joined Iron Man's team during the airport battle in Germany.

For Peter, it was the beginning of a much bigger adventure than he had ever imagined.

Trying to prove he belonged among the Avengers

Back home, life quickly returned to homework, school, his best friend Ned and his growing crush on Liz Allan. But Peter could not stop thinking about becoming an Avenger.

That chance appeared when he discovered criminals using weapons built from alien technology left behind after the Battle of New York.

His investigation led him to Adrian Toomes, better known as the Vulture. Once an ordinary salvage contractor, Toomes turned to crime after losing his business when a government department backed by Stark took over the clean-up operation following the first Avengers film.

Peter's determination nearly caused disaster aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Furious with his recklessness, Tony Stark took away the advanced Spider-Man suit.

Without all the gadgets, Peter had to rely on himself. Wearing his old homemade costume, he eventually defeated the Vulture and proved he did not need expensive technology to be a hero.

When Tony later offered him a place among the Avengers, Peter surprised everyone by turning it down, choosing instead to remain the "friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man". His quiet life did not stay quiet for long, though, as Aunt May accidentally discovered his secret identity.

The battle against Thanos changed everything

Peter barely had time to enjoy life before Earth faced its greatest threat.

When Thanos arrived searching for the Infinity Stones, Peter joined Tony Stark aboard a spaceship heading into space. Together with several other heroes, they tried to stop the Mad Titan but failed.

Just moments after Tony officially welcomed Peter into the Avengers, Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half of all life.

Peter became one of the victims. His emotional final moments, fading away in Tony Stark's arms, remain one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the Marvel films.

Returning to a world that had moved on

Five years later, the surviving Avengers travelled through time to recover the Infinity Stones and undo Thanos' snap during the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

Peter returned in time for the final battle against Thanos, but victory came at an enormous cost.

Tony Stark sacrificed his own life to save the universe. For Peter, losing the man who had become a mentor and father figure left a huge emotional void that shaped everything that followed.

Europe, Mysterio and one terrible mistake

Only months after returning, Peter joined his classmates on a school trip across Europe. He hoped the holiday would finally give him the chance to tell MJ how he felt.

Instead, Nick Fury interrupted the trip and introduced Peter to Quentin Beck, a supposed superhero from another universe known as Mysterio.

Still struggling with Tony's death and doubting himself, Peter handed Beck control of EDITH, Tony Stark's powerful global defence system.

It was a decision he would immediately regret.

Beck was not a hero at all. He was a former Stark employee using holograms and drones to create fake monster attacks so he could appear to be the world's next great superhero.

Peter eventually exposed the truth and defeated Mysterio. But Beck made sure he had the last word.

A manipulated video released after his death framed Spider-Man for murder and revealed to the world that Peter Parker was behind the mask.

When Peter's world fell apart

With his identity exposed, Peter's life became impossible. His family and friends found themselves under investigation, while MJ, Ned and the people closest to him faced unwanted attention and even problems with university admissions because of their connection to him.

Desperate to fix everything, Peter turned to Doctor Strange.

He asked the sorcerer to cast a spell that would make the world forget Spider-Man's secret identity. But Peter kept changing the conditions during the spell, causing it to break apart and tear open the multiverse.

Suddenly, villains from other Spider-Man universes, including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman and the Lizard, found themselves in the MCU.

Rather than sending them back to face their deaths, Peter wanted to cure them. That decision had devastating consequences.

Aunt May's final lesson

The Green Goblin betrayed Peter's trust and launched a brutal attack that resulted in Aunt May's death.

Before she died, she delivered the words that have defined Spider-Man for generations.

"With great power there must also come great responsibility."

It became the lesson Peter would carry with him forever.

Three Spider-Men united

Peter was not alone for long. Spider-Men played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield arrived from their own universes to help him overcome his grief and find hope again.

Together, the three heroes worked to cure the multiverse villains rather than destroy them, giving each character a second chance.

The emotional team-up became one of the biggest moments in superhero cinema.

Peter's biggest sacrifice yet

As the multiverse began collapsing, Peter realised there was only one way to stop it.

He asked Doctor Strange to cast a final spell that would erase Peter Parker from everyone's memory. The spell saved reality but came at a heartbreaking personal cost. MJ no longer recognised him. Ned forgot his best friend. Even the Avengers had no memory of the young man behind the Spider-Man mask.

Although Peter briefly considered telling MJ the truth again, he chose not to after seeing that she and Ned were finally safe and beginning new lives.

Where Peter is before ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

By the end of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, Peter has lost almost everything that once defined his life. He lives alone in a small New York flat, studies for his GED, makes his own Spider-Man suit and continues protecting the city without Tony Stark's technology or the support of his friends. It is the first time this version of Spider-Man has truly been on his own.

That lonely ending also sets the stage for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. Marvel Studios has described the upcoming film as a fresh chapter for Peter Parker, with Tom Holland calling it a "rebirth" after the events of ‘No Way Home’.

Rather than continuing the previous trilogy, the new film promises a fresh start for Spider-Man as he rebuilds his life from scratch.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is set to hit cinemas in India on 30 July, followed by its wider global release on 31 July 2026.

It's directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The movie sees Tom Holland return as Spider-Man alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo and Sadie Sink.