The upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day grapples with the ramifications of Dr. Strange's memory-erasing spell, leaving its director, Destin Daniel Cretton, uncertain about the fate of Peter Parker's photographic evidence. The spell, which erased Peter Parker from the minds of almost everyone on Earth, has created a narrative quandary regarding whether images and mentions of Peter still exist.
In a conversation with IndieWire, Cretton discussed the challenges of defining the spell's precise impact. He acknowledged that while the film adheres to a set of internal rules, the broader implications, such as the existence of Peter's photograph in a high school yearbook, were subjects of extensive internal debate. "We believe… gosh, we went back and forth. But we believe no," Cretton stated regarding the yearbook query. However, he admitted to being unsure whether this meant photos containing Peter were entirely removed or if he would simply appear absent from them. This ambiguity, Cretton explained, is why the movie strategically avoids featuring old photographs. "There’s a reason why you don’t see any photos in our movie. Because I don’t fully know how to answer that," he told the outlet. Cretton emphasized that the spell's effect is intended as a memory erasure rather than a retroactive alteration of history, stating, "What we definitely want to believe is that we didn’t actually go back in time and delete somebody so that everything changed from that point on. It’s really just a memory erasure of everybody’s brains."
Despite the conceptual hurdles, Cretton aimed to prevent these ontological questions from distracting from the film's narrative. He appreciated the opportunity to openly acknowledge the complexities rather than offering a dismissive in-universe explanation. "I thought about it for a few days. But it has nothing to do with our movie. Well, that part doesn’t," he remarked. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is slated for release on July 31.