Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer Seems to Confirm Jean Grey Is Behind Scorpion and Hulk's Mind Control

The new trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrived right before San Diego Comic-Con, and from what I saw, it seems to confirm a theory that Jean Grey is mind-controlling Scorpion, and possibly Hulk too. The movie was due out the following week, and this trailer felt more story-heavy than a typical marketing drop.

I still think Marvel is going to keep Sadie Sink's role quiet until the actual movie rather than revealing it at Comic-Con, though I could be wrong on that.

The trailer plays like a sad "previously on" for Peter Parker's story

The trailer opens with Peter Parker doing a recap, essentially reminding everyone that he made people forget who he is and that he has been living with that secret. I liked this approach a lot, saying, "It's like a previously on. I love you." It walks through the old plot of everyone forgetting each other and something bad happening, which is a good way to bring people back up to speed before the release.

That lead-in also reminded me of everything Peter has gone through from the first movie in this run to this one, showing him now as a lonely Spider-Man just doing his thing. I said I liked the recap portion of the trailer better than some of the newer footage that followed.

The Scorpion and Hulk mind-control theory looks confirmed

A theory I'd heard, possibly from my own show or somewhere else, was that Scorpion is being controlled by someone, and this trailer pretty much confirms that inside the footage. My read is that the same mind control is the reason Hulk goes berserk, with someone taking over his mind and making him go nuts. I assume this is all Jean Grey, though I noted that seems to be what everyone thinks at this point rather than something stated outright.

My question coming out of it is why Jean Grey would be doing this if it is indeed her, and whether she herself might be controlled by someone else. I pointed out we don't actually know this version of Jean Grey's backstory. If this were the actress who played Jean Grey in the original X-Men trilogy, or if it were Sophie Turner's take, we'd already know they'd been through the Phoenix storyline, but this version's history is unknown. In the footage itself I only spotted the hooded cloak figure once, which I assumed was Jean Grey.

Other moments: Scorpion, Daredevil, and seeing too much of MJ

There's a scene where someone asks Scorpion, "You sure you want to do this, Scorpion?" which lines up with the mind-control idea. Daredevil also appears in what looks like a prison setting, throwing what I called a nice punch, and there's a lighter beat with an app joke about Spider-Man being nearby.

I also said I regretted having seen this trailer so close to release because it gives away too much, including a moment where MJ starts swinging with Peter again and confirmation that Ned is still a Spider-Man fan. My guess is that Peter eventually tells MJ and Ned everything and that the three of them get a big scene together, though I said I personally don't want them to get their memories back.

My overall verdict

I said, "I liked it. I'm ready. I'm on board." I expect the Hall H panel at Comic-Con to show additional scenes, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a screening of the movie for attendees, since that's usually how these panels go. I mentioned I was set to see the movie myself at a press screening the following Monday.

Do you think Jean Grey is really behind the mind control in Brand New Day, or is something else going on?