Warning: This article contains spoilers for the ending of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is now in theaters, and while the film itself delivers a fairly self-contained chapter for Tom Holland's Peter Parker, its brief, puzzling post-credits scene has already sparked intense theorizing about what comes next for the character in the MCU's next two Avengers blockbusters.

What Actually Happens in the Scene

Unlike many recent Marvel stingers, the "Brand New Day" post-credits scene features no actors at all. Instead, it centers on the Spidey Tracker, a device longtime fans will recognize from Ned Leeds's arc in earlier films. The scene shows the tracker gradually zooming out — first away from New York City, then off of Earth entirely — before locating Spider-Man somewhere in deep space. A title card then simply announces: "Spider-Man Will Return." Notably, there's only one credits scene in the film; there is no additional mid-credits sequence.

Why the Space Setting Is Confusing Fans

The ambiguity is very much by design. It's unclear whether the scene is teasing Holland's own Spider-Man, a different version of the character entirely, or something else tied to the MCU's larger multiversal plans. As one outlet put it, the beauty of the scene is that while it's obviously a tease for something bigger, it's genuinely unclear what that something is.

Where Things Stand for "Avengers: Doomsday"

As of now, Holland is not listed on the call sheet for "Avengers: Doomsday," the Russo brothers-directed team-up film arriving this December, which brings together heroes from the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Thunderbolts rosters to face Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. That absence doesn't rule out a surprise cameo, especially given the scale of the crossover, but multiple outlets note it's considered unlikely given that "Brand New Day" and "Doomsday" were filmed around the same time.

The Leading Theory: Secret Wars and Battleworld

The most widely floated explanation points toward 2027's "Avengers: Secret Wars," rumored to involve the merging of multiple Marvel universes — including the MCU and the former Fox X-Men universe. In the source comics, Doctor Doom assembles fragments of destroyed worlds into a place called Battleworld, where captured heroes and villains are forced to fight for his entertainment. Several outlets have speculated the post-credits scene could be setting up exactly that scenario, transporting Spider-Man off-Earth ahead of the character's larger role in "Secret Wars" rather than "Doomsday."

Could It Be a Different Spider-Man Entirely?

Some theories go a step further, suggesting the scene may not even be about Holland's Peter Parker specifically. Given Holland's own dialogue in "Brand New Day" referencing "Peter Two" and his organic web-shooters — a nod to Tobey Maguire's earlier 2000s-era Spider-Man — some observers speculate the studio could be quietly setting up a Maguire return for "Doomsday" or "Secret Wars," rather than bringing back Holland's version right away. Others have floated the possibility of an entirely new or previously unseen Spider-Man variant, or even Miles Morales, given past precedent of the franchise introducing new heroes via similar space-arrival stingers (as with the Fantastic Four's own "Doomsday" tease at the end of "Thunderbolts*").

What's Confirmed vs. What's Speculation

To be clear about what's actually known: no Spider-Man actor has been officially confirmed for either "Avengers: Doomsday" or "Avengers: Secret Wars." Everything about which version of Spider-Man appears, when, and how remains speculation based on the ambiguous post-credits imagery and prior MCU patterns — including the possibility that Holland's Spider-Man simply skips both upcoming Avengers films and returns instead in a fifth solo outing at an unspecified future date.

What's Next

With "Avengers: Doomsday" set for release this December and "Avengers: Secret Wars" following in December 2027, fans have a considerable wait before the tracker's mystery is resolved. Holland has previously told podcaster Josh Horowitz that a "succession plan" already exists for his character, adding another layer of intrigue to a scene that, for now, is designed to keep audiences guessing rather than deliver any concrete answers.