Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton has shared that the sticky Marvel supervillain Paste-Pot Pete was a contender for the film's initial villain showcase. The character was envisioned as part of the movie's introductory montage, which featured Spider-Man battling established foes like Scorpion, Boomerang, and Tombstone.
Paste-Pot Pete, also known as Peter Petruski, first appeared in Marvel comics in 1962 and has a history of confrontations with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. His abilities include firing a sticky adhesive, initially from a glue gun and later from wrist-mounted devices, enabling him to create webs and walk on walls. This power set bears some resemblance to Tom Holland's Spider-Man's organically developed web-slinging capabilities.
Cretton explained that the filmmakers explored numerous villains who ultimately did not make the final cut. The team reviewed comic book covers to find suitable characters that could aid in telling the story of Spider-Man cleaning up the city by defeating enemies. However, many covers depicting Spider-Man in distress or in iconic poses were deemed unusable for the film's narrative. Paste-Pot Pete was one such character the team found enjoyable to consider but who did not fit into the completed film.
Despite his absence from Brand New Day, there remains a possibility for Paste-Pot Pete's future appearance in subsequent Spider-Man installments. The film achieved significant commercial success, grossing $927 million worldwide during its opening weekend, which suggests a secure future for Tom Holland's portrayal of the character, though his return has not been officially confirmed.
In IGN's review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the film was praised for effectively focusing on the core elements of the webslinger's mythos: the struggle for balance while saving New York City and maintaining a heroic image. The review awarded the film a 7/10.