We've all been talking about Avengers: Doomsday so much that it's relatively easy to forget that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is coming out first. That's not something anyone should forget about, because Spider-Man movies are among the heaviest of hitters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, the past two Spidey movies have made over $1 billion each (with the latter, Spider-Man: No Way Home, making almost $2 billion).
Tom Holland will reprise his role as the webslinger for his fourth solo installment, reintroducing us to Peter Parker for the first time in almost five years. His life will be different, as his loved ones won't remember him (after a spell from Doctor Strange made everyone forget who Peter is) and he's expected to face off against some new threats, while also crossing paths with the Hulk and the Punisher.
However, it seems that the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed film will feature the return of one of Spider-Man's most pivotal characters.
J.K. Simmons will reportedly return as J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It sounds like we haven't seen the last of the beloved J. Jonah Jameson. According to long-standing and well-established Marvel insider Alex Perez (via The Cosmic Circus), J.K. Simmons will indeed be reprising the role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The scooper reveals that they have heard "JJJ will be returning" while also adding that Angourie Rice's Betty Brant could be working as part of the Daily Bugle.
Jameson is, of course, a fixture of the Spider-Man franchise, known for running the Daily Bugle so, in that sense, it's not that surprising to hear that he might be involved in the upcoming MCU movie. It might come as a surprise, however, as the MCU movies have rarely used the character, with J.K. Simmons making a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home and playing a supporting role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As always, he was disparaging Spider-Man and claiming him to be a menace.
Simmons played the role in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy, appearing in all three movies between 2002 and 2007. His performance was acclaimed by fans and critics, with many regarding him as the definitive version of the character. That's why it was pretty fitting that Marvel Studios and Sony had him return to play the MCU iteration of the character, too. The fact that his appearance wasn't multiversal also means that he can continue to appear if they wish for him to.
Although Jameson was invested in the Peter Parker is Spider-Man saga that played out over the course of the previous movie, the spell that Doctor Strange cast in the conclusion of that movie means that nobody knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man anymore. And with that, Jameson could very easily play a more long-term role as the typical Spidey hater that he is in just about every other adaptation.
With Peter likely adopting a more adult life beyond being a teenage Avenger, we could be about to enjoy a more comic-accurate Spider-Man movie. Perhaps a job at the Daily Bugle awaits. And if that's the case, we could be getting even more J. Jonah Jameson than we know. Needless to say, that would be a lot of fun indeed.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in movie theaters on July 31, 2026.