Spider-Man: Brand New Day writers reveal abandoned arc where Matt Murdock forgot Peter

Spider-Man: Brand New Day writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers once explored a version of the film that would have brought Matt Murdock into Peter Parker’s life in a very different way. The storyline that was abandoned imagined Matt as Peter's lawyer.

However, there was a problem between the two characters: Matt no longer remembered Peter. The change stemmed from Doctor Strange’s spell at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which erased Peter Parker from the memories of those who knew him.

Speaking on Script Apart, McKenna explained:

"He had Daredevil, Matt Murdock, as his lawyer, but he didn’t remember him. But he had to pull in Matt Murdock to help him out of this jam and deal with it."

Despite that, Peter would still have turned to Murdock when a legal dispute involving the Spider-Man identity put him in trouble. McKenna and Sommers developed the idea while exploring different possibilities for the movie.

Eventually, they built it into a courtroom-focused storyline with comedic elements. So, the unique arc with Matt as the web-slinger's lawyer never made it to the finished film.

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The abandoned story in Spider-Man: Brand New Day turned Peter's identity into a legal dispute

The legal trouble began when Peter discovered that the other Spider-Man had taken steps to formally establish control over the superhero identity. Unlike Peter, the imposter had treated Spider-Man as a business as well as a superhero persona.

McKenna previously discussed the unusual premise during an interview with The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood and said:

"Peter lives on a boat, fixes its engine, and makes his own web fluid before suddenly discovering another Spider-Man back home."

That created an ironic situation for Peter. Although he was the real Spider-Man, he was suddenly facing someone who had apparently been much more careful about protecting the name and the commercial side of the identity.

The writers of Spider-Man: Brand New Day knew the idea was unusual, but they enjoyed exploring where it could lead. McKenna explained that sometimes the team would follow an entertaining idea even while suspecting it might eventually have to be abandoned.

Kevin Feige was also reportedly involved in these discussions and was enjoying the material rather than immediately rejecting it. McKenna said that he was in the room and enjoying those plots for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The abandoned story turned Spider-Man's identity into a legal dispute

Charlie Cox plays Matt Murdock (Image Source: Getty)

The legal mess in this abandoned arc for Spider-Man: Brand New Day became even more ironic when Peter learned that the other Spider-Man had taken care of something he never had: the business side of his superhero identity.

The imposter had legally secured the Spider-Man name and also had his own supply of web fluid. As McKenna explained:

"He finds out this guy is using my web fluid and he’s using my suit."

McKenna continued:

"And it turns out the guy has done what Peter Parker had never done... trademarked it, and had his web fluid."

This means that despite being the person who had actually lived as Spider-Man, Peter suddenly found himself at a disadvantage. The other Spider-Man had apparently handled the paperwork and ownership issues that Peter had never bothered with.

Still, the writers were having fun with the unusual premise they created for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. McKenna described it as one of those ideas that can become entertaining to explore.