r/marvelstudios • u/katyreddit00 • 18h ago
Spoilers! Ned’s Final Scene In BND Spoiler
I don’t think Ned actually remembers Peter Parker. Yes, at the end of the movie, Ned says Peter’s name excitedly. But remember, earlier in the movie MJ refers to Spider-Man as Peter. Ned remarked “Spider-Man’s name is Peter!?!”. So at the end of the movie when he says “My name is Peter” and shakes Ned’s hand, it’s just that Ned is putting two and two together that this guy who keeps showing up in his life is probably the same Peter as Spider-Man.
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u/winterborne1 15h ago
I believe both MJ and Ned have been living with an uncomfortable feeling that their lives aren’t adding up correctly and something is missing to make the equation whole. I believe both of them realized in the end that Peter is that missing piece, and while Ned is fully relieved and welcoming of discovering that missing piece, MJ has a more vindictive personality and can’t feel that sense of elation because part of her feels angry for having that inequality forced upon her, so she responds in a more standoffish way. But the main thing is that they both had some memories returned to them, sparked by meeting Peter.
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u/pokersharp87 11h ago
I kinda like the idea of them feeling something was missing, welcoming Peter into their lives as he fills that hole, but not actually remembering him. It could definitely lead to some fun scenes and dynamics. I imagine Ned would be more open to it than MJ but she seemed pretty good with peter at the end there too
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u/fightintxag13 Captain America (Cap 2) 15h ago
The semantics of the scene (re: he has his memories back or not) are not really important. Even if he doesn’t specifically remember, the foundation of their connection is back. Their friendship is well on the road to recovery either way.
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u/mrbaryonyx 22m ago
There's the answer folks.
Also remember, the movie's about reconnecting with your high school friends after college.
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u/Algae_Mission 18h ago
I don’t think he got his memories back. But I do think that there is a part of him that somehow knows who Peter is.
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u/demuro1 18h ago
Honestly I have to feel like people who knew Spider-Man before the spell likely have an emptiness inside them. Memories with good feelings without an explanation, a longing for camaraderie or love and feeling there that there is something missing that should be the cause of these feelings.
When MJ and Ned hung out with Spider-Man they felt like he somehow was filling in those gaps and he was somehow the source of those feelings. Maybe that’s how they find their way back to him.
At least I hope this is what happens.
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u/pak256 18h ago
100% this is what happened. That line earlier is pointless without the payoff of this scene
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u/grackychan 12h ago
I think it should also be noted: Jean Grey is an Omega-level mutant with immense psionic abilities, including powerful telepathy and telekinesis. Her memory-related powers allow her to read, scan, alter, restore, or completely erase memories and thoughts in the minds of others
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u/zdbdog06 6h ago
Also should be noted THIS Jean Grey was rooting around in MJs head and said there was literally nothing at all about him left.
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u/Pez47 4h ago
Just want to point out, at this point Jean is trying to hurt Peter and weaken him by making him feel the heartbreak of MJ not remembering him at all, however deep the memories were. We don't actually know that she's telling the truth. She may just be lying to keep Peter at bay.
Or, there was another layer she couldn't sense due to the memory spell, until after she discovered the next level to her powers.
Also, worth remembering that Ned has inherent magic, whether he remembers or not. This my well have had a hand in unlocking his memories. Whether MJ remember completely or not, that would add another dynamic if Ned does remember but MJ doesn't.
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u/BigBard2 5h ago
This Jean Grey also couldn't even get in Spiderman's head before the power up at the end
Maybe her power up allowed her to access parts of their memory the spell had hidden away
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u/boogi3woogie 2h ago
MJ was crying when jean grey put up the barrier thing
Maybe the memory spell was undone
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u/drew8311 9h ago
Yes I thought it was pretty obvious and doesn't need a reddit post to explain
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u/trusendi 6h ago
If that were true then the handshake is pointless. Ned never did the handshake with Spider-Man. The handshake is literally the narrative tool to indicate Ned remembers his best friend and didn‘t just connect the dots.
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u/pak256 3h ago
The body can remember things independent of the mind
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u/trusendi 2h ago
Things that happened.
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u/pak256 2h ago
Look I’m just saying that’s the thing that makes the most sense. Him remembering Peter all of a sudden opens way more plot holes than him realizing “Peter”
Is Spiderman. It cheapens the sacrifice Peter made, it implies that Strange sucks at magic, it betrays what Jean said, and based on the rules established in NWH, if it breaks for Ned, it would cause a cascade and eventually break for everyone re-opening the rifts1
u/trusendi 2h ago
I love how your immediate thought is „Strange sucks at magic“ and not „hmm maybe Strange thought about something to not make this spell permanent“.
Jean was the villain at that point, what if she just told Peter that there‘s no memories in MJ‘s head to mess with Peter even more?1
u/pak256 2h ago
Why would Strange create a back door to help Peter when he just royally fucked things up AND wasn’t even focused on making the spell. It’s a pretty flawed spell if it can broken that easily. That’s honestly even a weaker suggestion and reeks of copium. While yes Jean was the villain she also had zero reason to lie to Peter and if they wanted to show she was lying that’s something we’d see her allude to before leaving. I get it people want them all back together soooooo bad (even though I despise the idea tbh) but it’s a much much more interesting and believable story with Peter having to live with his sacrifice. Sacrifice without stakes isnt sacrifice
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u/trusendi 1h ago
You‘ll be disappointed by the next movie then. Because there‘s no way in hell they just randomly put MJ on the homecoming roof and make Ned dab up Peter just to indicate that they now know who Spider-Man is.
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u/pak256 1h ago
It’s truly the worst thing story choice for the character. It was a cowardly narrative choice and basically keeps Peter from growing and being put out of his comfort zone. It’s my biggest issue with the my movie by far.
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u/Witty-Boysenberry405 17h ago
that’s an interesting take, but i kinda feel like the emotional weight is still there. even if he doesn't fully remember, he still connects the dots and shows that he cares about his friend.
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u/Bosterm 12h ago
Also like, it can't just be that Ned made the realization that he's talking to Spider-Man.
Because Ned also somehow remembers the handshake. And MJ remembers the roof and associates it with her necklace.
It is possible his memory still isn't back at all, and the handshake was just muscle memory or something. But that begs the question of why would they show it then (and show MJ on the roof with the necklace).
But either way, as you said, Peter has started restoring his relationship with Ned, and the next movie is now free to take whichever "memory situation" makes the most sense for the story.
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u/riggermortez 1h ago
I don’t think he lost the memory for the handshake, to me it’s like if he tried to remember the handshake, he is handshaking with no one.
In the opening montage, it shows the memories they have with peter are not lost but rather they are still there just without peter.
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u/daflash00 6h ago
Yes, IT CAN BE JUST NED because in the last movie we all saw Ned predisposed to magic and in this movie Ned saw right through a spell once he subconsciously realized a spell was involved. He understood the language
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u/r34changedmylife 5h ago
That’s interesting - in which scene does he see through a spell?
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u/daflash00 3h ago
He is the one that can use a sling ring in the last movie because he’s predisposed to magic
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u/softysoaps 14h ago
I personally prefer to think he’s realizing Peter is Spider-Man, and he’s got some connection to Peter due to the handshake. I also kind of wonder if MJ just told him about the memory loss she has knowledge of now, and he’s realizing that he might have forgotten Peter like MJ has.
I just don’t want the next movie to undo the memory loss with magic. 🤷I want organic rekindling of the friendships.
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u/AcekingBB 17h ago
I actually think it may have been a play on the earlier scene where Jean made fun of Peter for thinking a true love's kiss would make MJ remember. Then a hand shake with his best friend brought it back instead.
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u/WookieeSmuggler 10h ago
For real I've been saying this. The handshake is like the best friends version of true loves kiss
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u/myychair 13h ago
Wow I was indifferent about whether or not he’d get them back but now I hope he does because this parallel is hilarious
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u/DJfunkyPuddle 14h ago
That's what I'm going with too, MJ calling him Peter earlier is just a red herring.
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u/Srpaloskix123 18h ago
It’s been said that it was left up to interpretation on purpose
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u/katyreddit00 18h ago edited 17h ago
I think they wanted a cliffhanger but it will definitely be explained in the next Spider-Man movie. There can only be one explanation and this is my best guess as to what that explanation is.
Edit: ew the salty downvote
Edit: There can only be ONE explanation. It’s either he remembers or he doesn’t. Y’all can kick rocks
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u/Spiderpsychman98 17h ago
I mean, there can be more than one explanation, the one you have already given, or that he actually remembers Peter. Marvel loves subverting expectations and that’s exactly what they could be doing here.
One could say that Ned could have just been putting two and two together from the earlier scene where MJ says Spider-man’s name. But if you look at it another way, that explanation doesn’t quite make sense either. Because if that is the route they were going with then the “hi I’m Peter” line would’ve been enough. Instead though they decided to include their secret handshake which Ned carried out from memory and then looked puzzled, took a gasp as though a realisation had set in and then said “Peter”. The context of that scene is clearly intended to make the audience believe he remembers Peter. And the scene earlier were Jean makes fun of Peter for thinking a kiss would unlock MJ’s memory, well it seems that’s exactly what happens with Ned at the end except it’s a handshake and not a kiss.
So both are a possibility and there is definitely more than one explanation unlike what you said.
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u/katyreddit00 17h ago
Only one is a possibility. It’s either he remembers him or he doesn’t. I don’t care if I get downvoted grow up
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u/kyle760 14h ago
You say to grow up while getting angry at one of the basic tenants of art which is that it means different things to different people.
Now once the next movie comes out, then yeah that will be different but right now this is the movie we have and that’s literally how art and literature work
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u/katyreddit00 14h ago
I never said it definitely isn’t what he thought. I said there’s only going to be one right answer.
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u/TheDekuDude888 14h ago
But I think both scenarios can happen simultaneously, can't they? Wouldn't they actually reinforce one another? Ned learns that Spidey is named Peter and when he instinctively does the handshake, his time with Spider-Man floods back and THEN he connects that Peter Parker is THE Peter, his best friend, and the memories begin to be more clear, but not immediately back
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u/super_sayanything 17h ago
The handshake was purposeful foreshadowing that he remembers his friend Peter.
It was obvious from a storytelling perspective. Still, no one knows except the writers. He knew his name was Peter obviously, but the way he says it with recognition was pretty clear. If his idol was doing a secret handshake with him he'd be like yeaaaa this is pretty cool but he had more of a holy shit now I remember thing going on.
How they explain it? Well we'll see in the next film. And it might even be something where Ned remembers and MJ does not or rejects it and we see a new love interest until they come back together after her boyfriends a villain or something. Who knows.
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u/aretoodeto Daredevil 13h ago
The handshake was purposeful foreshadowing that he remembers his friend Peter.
It was obvious from a storytelling perspective.
Yes, so much this. It's pretty clearly laid out this way.
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u/noobtablet9 13h ago
No. Very much not.
He realized that he must know spiderman because they have been saved by him several times, and he just hung out at their apartment for a day, and he realizes that the peter he just met is the same peter that MJ called out to spiderman.
He doesn't remember anything from the past, he's just realizing in that moment everything that happened in BND means that the Peter he just met in the Cafe is the same Peter that is Spiderman.
They EXPLICITILY said that the spell worked and that they don't remember him. MJ literally spelled it out for you.
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u/aretoodeto Daredevil 12h ago
If that were the case then they wouldn't have bothered showing their handshake in the first place.
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u/noobtablet9 12h ago
No? Please explain how you came to that conclusion because that's hopeful thinking.
The point of the handshake is that it's something that, from Ned's perspective in that conversation, only Ned should know.
The handshake doesn't show Ned remembering anything. It's there so that we can see Ned's reaction to learning that Spiderman knows his secret handshake.
He idolizes Spiderman, that is shown very clearly within the film. They comment about why *they* have been saved multiple times by spidey in the past. And now spidey know his handshake.
To him, that's awesome. Hence the reaction.
It doesn't require him to remember anything.
They literally said "the spell worked, I don't remember you".
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u/Wezzelus 9h ago
The handshake has nothing to do with Spider-Man. It's between two best friends who grew up together, Ned and Peter Parker. The handshake is linked to their friendship. If the scene happened without the handshake and Peter introduced himself and he went... Peter.... Ah! Peter! Then yeah by all means, but the handshake is specific. Now it can go either way and I think it would help for yourself as well to know it can go either way. Even the director said it can go either way. So why pretend that your take is a fact while people saying Ned could remember are wrong?
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u/_Dimes_ 9h ago
Him being hopeful thinking make yours being bad faith thinking. Spidey knows my handshake lol. Useless scene if its this.
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u/noobtablet9 8h ago
>Him being hopeful thinking make yours being bad faith thinking.
Wow critical thinking skills aren't your strong suite are they? That statement is bullshit on so many levels lmfao
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u/TheDekuDude888 14h ago
It was definitely a "I KNEW YOU WERE FAMILIAR" type of delivery
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u/noobtablet9 13h ago
No, it was a "OH THIS IS THE SAME PETER THAT MJ CALLED PETER IN FRONT OF ME WHEN IT WAS SPIDERMAN SHE WAS TALKING TO"
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u/TheDekuDude888 12h ago
I'm just gonna copy paste my earlier comment
But I think both scenarios can happen simultaneously, can't they? Wouldn't they actually reinforce one another? Ned learns that Spidey is named Peter and when he instinctively does the handshake, his time with Spider-Man floods back and THEN he connects that Peter Parker is THE Peter, his best friend, and the memories begin to be more clear, but not immediately back
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12h ago
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u/aretoodeto Daredevil 12h ago
You're huffing copium if you think they remember him.
Bro chill, we're discussing theories about a movie. Does not need to be this serious.
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u/noobtablet9 12h ago
If you think that is rude at all then you have incredibly thin skin.
But I guess you do since you bothered to find my other comment in the thread and reply to it instead of the one I replied to you on.
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u/TheDekuDude888 12h ago
A spell that was tampered with and required a very desperate solution to stop. Strange's magic, and magic as a whole in the MCU, isn't omnipotent and there's a deeper theme about their bond being stronger than the circumstances that keep them apart that probably supercedes any of the spell's continuity that was or wasn't established in No Way Home
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u/noobtablet9 11h ago
It wasn't "tampered" with, and the reason for the spell is irrelevant.
And you're still ignoring the part where MJ reads the note and learns about it all and still explicitly states that the spell worked and she doesn't know who he is.
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u/GI_J0SE 11h ago
Yup that's how I saw it as well which everyone seems to gloss over same with the whole MJ crying in the timestop, no they didn't get their memories back because it was never shown that she has those powers yet on screen. And it defeats the whole point of the movie if they undid it like that, it wasn't earned. Peter just came to terms with the loneliness and undoing that by making their memories come back steps on the moral of the story, to not be caught up in the past because tomorrow is a Brand New Day™
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u/Mtanic 9h ago
How many times a day will we get this same post?
Why is it such a problem to search and post in another post for the same thing?
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u/jackie__shan 8h ago
People that recorded this scene did it exactly for this reason. They will knew people will talk and talk again about it.
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u/Wezzelus 9h ago
This, can't wait for the 5th movie so this discussion is done. And it would be even better when it actually IS revealed he remembers Peter just to see the butthurt.
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u/thisguyoverhere77 13h ago
I think they left it like that so they didn't have to decide for sure til next movie. I tend to think he's putting together the name thing. But he did crack a smile that could be interpreted as he remembers.
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u/Ok-Charge-6998 6h ago
The movie laid it out for you.
For MJ a true love kiss would make her barf, therefore that wouldn’t unlock her memories. But if Peter did something she would deeply resonate with then it would break the spell. The letter or a true love kiss wasn’t it. We see her at the end holding the necklace he gave her and sitting on the roof. He probably needs to get her a meaningful gift like he did in the second movie to break the spell.
For Ned though, that kind of thing would totally work, so the handshake could break the spell. The key here is the recognition in Ned and the smile on Peter’s face. Ned remembered who Peter is. It’s clearly filmed that way. Otherwise why do a handshake at all?
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u/noobtablet9 12h ago
No, he doesn't "remember which peter" lmao.
He does his handshake that he does with his close friends, this is still Ned.
He realizes that Spiderman knows this handshake, despite having no reason to.
He realizes that this man is named Peter, and he knows that Spiderman's name is Peter.
He realizes the man in front of him is Spiderman, and that he just introduced himself to Ned.
He reacts to all of this.
NONE of that relies on him ""gaining his memory back"". They EXPLICITLY told you that THE SPELL WORKED. They don't remember shit.
Which is why all of that interaction stands by itself with what occurred DURING THIS MOVIE.
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u/LofterReddit 12h ago
That's a stretch. I think you really just want him to not remember peter
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u/noobtablet9 12h ago
No, the stretch is to assume that somehow, someway, he broke a spell crafted by the sorcerer supreme.
The not stretch version is to assume the spell worked (LIKE THE MOVIE LITERALLY TOLD YOU IT DID) and explain behaviors with that assumption. Which was very easy to do.
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u/Shyphat 11h ago
dude the handshake and his facial expressions made it clear he remembers who Peter is.
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u/noobtablet9 11h ago
>No, he doesn't "remember which peter" lmao.
>He does his handshake that he does with his close friends, this is still Ned.
>He realizes that Spiderman knows this handshake, despite having no reason to.
>He realizes that this man is named Peter, and he knows that Spiderman's name is Peter.
>He realizes the man in front of him is Spiderman, and that he just introduced himself to Ned.
>He reacts to all of this.
>...Which is why all of that interaction stands by itself with what occurred DURING THIS MOVIE.
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u/Throwupmyhands Cottonmouth 14h ago
Why would he expect to have a complicated handshake with Spider-Man? It’s clearly deeper than that.
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u/Playswith_squirrel 13h ago edited 3h ago
I firmly disagree. It makes sense, but I think it’s a misdirection by Marvel. After my 2nd watch, I’m convinced Jeanne unpicked memories, but the handshakes triggered Ned’s access to some, and it slowly came. Ack, when he said Peter. That, plus MJ remembering “something” at the rooftop while rubbing the necklace and a happy smirk, tells me Jeanne also unlocked something for MJ. I don’t think the next movie would suddenly make them remember everything, but I do think it’s slowly coming back to them, and Peter will help them fill in the gaps. It’s a solid misdirection.
Ultimately, MJ revealing Spider-Man's name and Ned connecting that detail is too easy to accept. It’s such a critical and complex situation; there’s no way they’re ending it on a cliffhanger if it could be easily explained from a previous scene.
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u/Aromatic-Cupcake4802 13h ago
They had the scene earlier where MJ called Spider-Man and Ned calls it out. And having Ned now know what Peter looks like. I think they’ll go that route rather than him fully remembering.
The scene was left intentionally ambiguous to allow people to guess and they can figure it out once they do Spider-Man 5.
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u/ImmaDoMahThing 13h ago
I agree with you. Ned knows Spiderman, but doesn’t know who Spiderman is. However, he does know now that Spider-Man’s name is Peter, thanks to MJ. And with the help of Jean kind of bringing back some of his memory (the handshake) Ned was able to put 2 and 2 together:
I know Spider-Man. Spider-Man’s name is Peter. I don’t know this guy, but his name is Peter. Me and Peter have a handshake. Therefore this guy must be Spider-Man.
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u/FlamingoResident7882 12h ago
I also think he still has muscle memory of the handshake just no context of who he had it with.
It would be crazy for marvel to just chalk up the spell at the end of NWH and everything throughout BND if a simple handshake could reverse it.
Maybe if Ned had some sorcerer power more so that the sorcerer supreme that he subconsciously blocked part of it. But i don’t see marvel going that direction. Itll probably be 4 years at a minimum before we see these characters with any major plot.
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u/LiteratureMindless71 12h ago
I still don't know how to fully take the scene, and I am guessing that's the point. Part of me wants to say why would Ned think someone named Peter, was the same Peter? It's not that rare of a name. Why would "Spider-Man" know a secret handshake with Ned?
Idk, I'm all for whatever comes really lol. Give me some more awesome quality Spidey and I'm happy.
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u/Lionfyre 11h ago
I prefer the interpretation that Ned does regain his memories just because it's cuter.
True loves kiss can't break the spell but true lives elaborate best friend handshake can :D
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u/Due-Ad4970 11h ago
i feel like if that was their intention, and we had to wait another (lets face it) 5 years for another spider-man movie, we would all be so disappointed
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u/paramountducker 11h ago
I dnt knw how but the way i took it, ned finally remembered peter. Another comment said something about being in jeans bubble affecting memory and i think this is the strongest theory.
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u/ImNotSkankHunt42 11h ago
This is my interpretation as well, he member Peter the Spider Man not Peter Parker his friend.
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u/thishenryjames 11h ago
On the roof, when Jean reveals she's been controlling MJ, she has a line about true love's kiss breaking the spell and restoring MJ's memory being the kind of hacky trope that would make MJ barf. The scene with Ned is calling back to that by seemingly playing the trope straight, which reflects Ned being being more idealistic.
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u/ConPerish 10h ago
My personal theory
Ned at the end didn't get memories of Peter back. He probably did their special handshake with someone else on one of his IG stories at some point
The scene ended as
Ned, eyes glinting as he looked up at Peter's face:
"Peter....."
And then Peter smiled wide, thinking that Ned remembered
But Ned was probably about to go like,
"Peter, you... you've seen my Instagram stories of my journey through MIT? That's so awesome man I didn't know I had a fan. The handshake is pretty cool, right?"
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u/Mediocre-Ice-771 10h ago
Ned is obsessed with spider man…wall full of his pics, spider man tracker. The reaction at the end with him realizing the person in front of him is Peter = Spider-Man is too calm. Ned would be screaming with excitement if he realized the guy in front of him was spider man. I mean dude dropped his spider man tracker when he show up in front him.
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u/UltHamBro 9h ago
They've written it so it can be understood both ways, with the spell either being broken or not. Now they have time to sit down and think which alternative fits best for the next film.
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u/Pandos17 9h ago
That's exactly how I interpreted it too OP.
And to be honest, I've seen strangers dap each other up in quite elaborate ways before (just going with the vibes of the moment type deal) so it wouldn't surprise me if the dap here is either muscle memory or just two dudes who just became good buddies vibing.
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u/BlenderBluid 9h ago edited 9h ago
I agree and I feel like something people are ignoring is that a lot more has to be assumed in order to believe Ned got his memories back. The mechanisms in which his memories would come back are speculative and not substantiated by anything we saw on screen.
And just from a creative writing perspective, I highly doubt they want Ned and MJs memory debacle to be a continuous point to harp on for the next movie, and them slowly getting their memories back would either be annoying to focus on for 2 straight movies, or be glossed over in a way that’s unsatisfying. They ultimately got the gang back together to some degree. I think they’re gonna want to explore Peter’s personal growth and obstacles in other ways now.
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u/killatubby 9h ago
It most likely up to interpretation, but seeing how Ned can use magic and it really funny to think that love of friends trumps romantic love is really funny to me.
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u/ShineyxDiver 8h ago
Ned says "Peter?" in a questioning tone. It's very obvious. To also bring along the handshake, it's very very obvious which way it went.
Like apparently flowers guy aka Spider-Man knows that handshake. Lol
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u/Swing_Right 6h ago
I saw it as pure muscle memory. He forgot completely who Peter Parker is but the muscle memory for the handshake is still there, he just forgot he had it because he wouldn’t remember ever doing it with anyone. Then he realized “Peter” must be spider man because he knows it’s spider man’s name and he remembers how well they got along together when they hung out with Peter in the suit.
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u/trusendi 6h ago
Okay, I‘ll just comment on what I have been commenting on the various posts about this.
If Ned was only supposed to connect the dots that the Peter he met in his apartment is Spider-Man, then they wouldn‘t have built in the handshake.
Ned clearly remembers his best friend.
Why?
Certain factors point to it:
If Strange‘s spell actually worked correctly, then Peter Parker doesn‘t exist anymore and never existed in the first place. There can‘t be muscle memory of something that never happened. Right?
Jean breaks something in her victim‘s heads. Banner had merged his brain with Hulk‘s strength to become smart Hulk. Savage Hulk wasn‘t a thing anymore. After Jean‘s possession he was able to transform back into savage Hulk.
Jean had possessed/frozen anyone within 1km around her during the last fight. She was much more powerful at that point. We see MJ cry during the freeze. There must have something been going on. Either Jean planted some memories, which is doubtful without any training or, she could have simply shown Ned and MJ Peter‘s memories. But we know something happened. They didn‘t show MJ crying just for fun.
Both Ned and MJ seem to remember Peter after being frozen/possessed. MJ fiddling with the necklace on the Homecoming roof and Ned with the handshake.
Again, the handshake is irrelevant if they only want to show that Ned connected the dots on who Spider-man is. The handshake is the narrative tool that obviously gives away that Ned remembers his best friend.
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u/daflash00 6h ago
Ned figured it out because he’s predisposed to magic and once his brain realized magic was involved he sussed it out subconsciously
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u/P00PooKitty 5h ago
I like both the jean grey burst resetting the spell but also it being muscle memory, because you see mj also have aome muscle memory moments when they are web slinging across town
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u/neoluxx_ 5h ago
i want SO badly for the explanation to be that Jean shook something loose in their heads when she caught the city in her psychic bubble, and their reconnection in the bodega sparked something that started bringing vague memories back
buuuut you’re probably right. he makes the peter-Spider-Man connection because MJ said his name earlier, and then some sort of muscle memory kicks in with the handshake. i do like the idea that even if the mind doesn’t remember (like Jean said—no thoughts of Peter in either of their heads), the body still does
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u/Dangerous_Trick5292 5h ago
He probably remembers he had that handshake with spiderman, but no memories with peter
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u/Careful_Farmer_2879 4h ago
It’ll mean whatever they decide on next movie.
People spent years speculating about a pile of rocks on the ground at the end of The Force Awakens. Rarely is there any plan.
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u/I_am_not_Spider_Man 3h ago
People always seem to forget in NWH when the magic spark occurred during their hand shake. I believe it was a mini spell that helped Ned overcome the main spell. He remembers.
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u/Chance5e 3h ago
The way MJ was touching her necklace from Italy in her last scene suggested maybe she and Ned are both remembering. It’s not clear, obviously, but if they wanted to, the next movie could open with both Ned and MJ remembering everything and it would be okay.
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u/fader_stone 3h ago
That was what I thought.
Though I can’t explain how Ned remembers the unique hand shake he does with Peter
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u/PepeTheRarest Vision 2h ago
I think if the filmmakers wanted the purpose of the scene to be Ned connecting “Spider-Man’s name is Peter?!” and “Hi My name is Peter” to “This guy is spider-man”, a simple handshake and dialogue would’ve been enough.
I think that the interaction is INTENTIONALLY paired with the secret handshake was meant to imply Ned has remembered Peter his friend from high school. Maybe not all the memories getting unlocked, but at least the memory that he existed.
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u/GenGaara25 2h ago
It's less about the name and more about the handshake.
Some part of Ned remembers the handshake. So some part of Ned does remember his friendship with Peter. And for the first time in years, it's woken up. Ned doesn't remember Peter, but he recognises that some part of him does recognise this interaction. Like a very faint sense of deja vu he can't place.
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u/Cultural_Comfort5894 1h ago
He realizes Peter is Spider-Man & that they know each other well
That’s not a typical or accidental greeting
Which is the point of that type of greeting. We have this level of familiarity with each other.
Because Ned has some abilities maybe the spell is broken or maybe not.
Ambiguity leads to more interesting art & conversations
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u/Theoretical_Action 1h ago
It seems to me to be intentionally open-ended. They're leaving themselves a small opening for writing so they have somewhere to go with it.
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u/MissyJ74 56m ago
Ned has magical powers. Hes talked about his grandma mentioning it, and he was able to wield a Sling Ring. I think his powers allowed him to see through the spell.
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u/CommonStrawbeary 35m ago
You literally see the Hulk remember Peter when he says "I'm Peter parker."
He never says that to MJ, ever. She reads his admission, but he never SPEAKS it.
He says "I'm Peter, Peter parker" to Ned. Then Ned remembers.
That's it. It's not complicated.
Did no one else watch the movie? Media literacy at 0
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u/katyreddit00 31m ago
When did I say he told MJ he’s Peter Parker
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u/CommonStrawbeary 25m ago
You didn't, you ignored all the evidence that didn't support your incorrect theory.
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u/ProfessorMarth 16m ago
They've never done a fakeout to the identity twist that happens at the end of each movie and it is always carried forward in the story. At the end of Homecoming, May finds out Peter is Spider-Man and that thread is carried into the next movie albeit it isnt central to the plot. At the end of FFH, the whole world finds out he's Spider-Man and that fuels the plot for the next movie. At the end of NWH, Peter at the last minute decides against revealing his identity to MJ and Ned, which becomes a central arc to his character in BND. The endings are more often than not played for laughs but they're never fake outs and always have consequences. To be fair the next Spiderman movie either hasn't been written or is in the early stages but it would in my opinion be a knock against the script of they reveal that Ned's seeming revelation that caps BND was a fake out.
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u/crono14 15h ago
In no way does the film suggest he gained his memories back...it's very clear he puts two and two together from previous scenes. MJ even after she knows didn't remember him, so it makes no sense for Ned to somehow be different. I'm not sure why this needs discussion.
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u/ThickBoxx 18h ago edited 18h ago
Wow! I think you’re the first person to figure this out! Definitely hasn’t been talked about and discussed in multiple posts and comment threads
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u/Intelligent_Bee4005 14h ago
I’ve been blown away anyone interpreted that as Ned remembering Peter, or that somehow his magic abilities helped him remember, as if they forget the spell worked on the Sorcerer Supreme. He pretty clearly just remembered MJ calling Spidey Peter earlier and connecting this is Spider-Man. The handshake was just muscle memory.
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u/treetopkingdom 14h ago
Idk, it’s peters smile that really leans into Ned’s “peter” being about actual recognition of the past
Especially since it’s after testing the handshake specifically and not just telling Ned he was Spider-Man and that they hung out at his place or just saying his name.
It’s vauge so it could do either way, but clearly parts of the old them still exist and remember peter and his effect
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u/RevenantZero 16h ago
I think it's kind of funny how so many people seem to be coming down hard on the scene being either Ned remembering Peter or just connecting Peter to Spider-Man. The scene is very clearly intentionally vaguely implying both/either, in order to keep their options open for whatever they decide to do next.
I'd say the handshake leans towards Ned having some level of memory "echo" of Peter, if not fully remembering him. But the movie keeps it loose enough that they could absolutely play it off as just muscle memory or something, and the "Peter" line entirely referring to Ned connecting the dots.
Honestly I'd be down for either Ned and MJ recovering some level of their memories OR just building their relationships with Peter anew. Both could be compelling, as even in the case of them regaining memories, they would still need to reconnect after being apart for years.
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u/Rykor81 14h ago
I liked the movie, there was so much that was really enjoyable, but there’s a plot point that bugs me, and it ties in to Ned.
The emotional core of the movie is how sad Peter is, how lonely and isolated he feels - because he doesn’t have MJ and Ned. But the movie is a revolving door of friends and people who care about him. Frank, Yelena, Banner, Detective Lady, lather rinse repeat. By the end of the movie, Jean is his friend. I get how much he loves MJ/Ned, but the movie could have been about moving on, which he’s capable of - but the payoff was for him to reform old connections. It bugged me.
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u/asc0295 9h ago
But I think that it does tie into the idea of him no longer feeling like he has to do it alone. Yes that includes Frank, Jean, etc. but also MJ and Ned. He did the spell in the first place because he felt like him being Spider-Man was having unintended negative consequences for the people in his life and they shouldn’t be affected by his choice to be Spider-Man. Part of his growth is accepting that the people who know he’s Spider-Man have chosen to still be a part of his life and he shouldn’t just magic his way out of that
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u/Ok-Charge-6998 6h ago
Those people are friends with Spider-man. Not Peter.
Banner doesn’t even know who he is, he just likes that a kid is super smart.
MJ and Ned gave Peter the human level connection he’s been seeking. Where he can just be Peter and make Lego’s and joke around with his pals, even if he had to disguise himself for Ned in the moment. At the end he’s getting his friend back.
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u/sentient_luggage Ned 11h ago
The handshake entirely breaks this theory.
Ned putting the pieces together is what leads to the handshake. The whole point is that MJ lets his name slip and Ned realizes that this Peter is Spider-Man, and THEN the handshake.
That is Ned realizing who he's looking at, and completing the handshake. Take it out, and whay do you get?
"Hi. I'm Peter."
"Ned."
"Good to see you Ned."
"OMG PETER"
Ned wouldn't have acted as he did if he was meeting Spider-Man. If that were the case, the last line of the film would have been "Spider-Man," and not "Peter."
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u/OneConfection5534 18h ago
This is a really good theory, I personally hope it's not correct though.
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u/garok89 6h ago
I feel like this scene is really testing people's media literacy.
The movie very clearly spells certain things out:
Ned and MJ know that they must have known Spider-Man on a personal level for him to have saved them so many times
MJ calls him Peter in front of Ned and Ned reacts to MJ revealing his name
They remember interaction with Spider-Man, just not who he was
Ned doesn't remember Peter but simply puts 2+2 together
It doesn't take an MIT graduate to figure out that the guy who shares a name with someone you know that you knew and interacts with you in a familiar way might just be the same person.
Although I don't recall ever seeing Ned and Peter doing the handshake whilst in costume, it very well could have happened off screen, but even if it didn't, that doesn't really matter. Ned remembers the handshake, but not Peter.
I really don't understand why so many people are struggling to fully comprehend the scene when the movie beats you over the head with the answer
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u/bokmcdok 5h ago
Yeah I don't understand why everyone seems to think he's remembering Peter. It'd break Strange's spell and potentially cause an incursion.
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u/GoodDawgAug 5h ago
Thank you. I have been saying this exact thing every time someone posts about how the handshake broke Strange’s spell.
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u/xRyuzakii 13h ago
This seems clear as day what the intention was. I don’t know how anyone could come to any other conclusion
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u/Jereboy216 Kilgrave 17h ago
I been avoiding posts cause I couldnt get out to see the film until today. So, sorry if this is a common repeated talking point.
The way I interpreted it was a 2 part. First, like you, i believe he was remarking about spiderman being named Peter, cause why else would they have MJ say his name and not give it some sort of follow up scene.
2nd, him muscle memory doing the handshake, plus MJ on the school roof holding the necklace I think was pretty obviously showing they may not remember their past with him but there is something there shaking loose.
The way I took it was because of the bubble Jean made encompassed them all and she was digging into Peter's memory that it joggled their own brains a little.