Flash returns: real friendship with Peter in Brand New Day?

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day will arrive on July 31, 2026 with Tom Holland returning after the events of No Way Home where Peter was erased from all memories.

• A rumor suggests that Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori) will return to the franchise, which is surprising given his dwindling role in the previous trilogy.

• I personally think this could be the perfect opportunity to explore a whole new dynamic between Flash and Peter, something the comics have done brilliantly for decades.

Do you remember when we finished No Way Home with a broken heart, seeing Peter Parker completely alone after Strange erased his existence from everyone’s memory? Well, it seems that Marvel has not finished playing with the emotional consequences of that decision.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day promises to be that continuation that we needed so much, but with a twist that no one expected. And just when we thought that we had already processed everything that this narrative reset implied, a rumor appears that makes us completely rethink the possibilities.

The return that no one saw coming

According to the latest leaks from scooper Daniel Richtman, Tony Revolori could return as Flash Thompson in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And yes, I know what you’re thinking: “Flash? Oh really?”.

The character who started out as the typical high school bully and who little by little lost relevance until he practically disappeared in No Way Home. But here’s the genius of this possible decision.

If Peter Parker has been erased from everyone’s memory, that means that Flash doesn’t remember years of rivalry, of teasing, of that toxic dynamic that characterized their relationship. We are talking about a completely blank slate.

A golden opportunity for character development

As a reader of the comics for years, I have always been fascinated by the evolution of Flash Thompson in the panels. In the ’80s and ’90s, especially during the Roger Stern and Tom DeFalco era, we saw how Flash went from being the school bully to becoming one of Peter’s best friends.

Later, with Rick Remender’s Agent Venom saga, the character reached epic heights. The MCU never really explored that transformation, keeping him as comic relief.

Now, with this reset of memories, we have the perfect opportunity to see that accelerated evolution. Imagine: Flash meeting Peter for the “first time” without prejudice, without that need to demonstrate superiority.

A cast that promises (and worries)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn’t just bring back Revolori. Tom Holland obviously returns as our beloved wall-crawler, while Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will have smaller roles.

This makes sense narratively, even though it breaks my heart. What’s really exciting are the additions: Mark Ruffalo brings back the Hulk, Jon Bernthal returns as the Punisher, and we have new faces like Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman and Liza Colón-Zayas.

It’s a cast that screams “major event” from all sides. Although, to be honest, I’m a little worried that Marvel is falling into their trend of overloading movies with too many characters.

The narrative implications

This possible return of Flash has me thinking about all the narrative possibilities. Will Peter be the one looking to reconnect with the people from his past? Or is it a coincidence that they meet?

The beauty of this situation is that Peter could finally meet the “real” version of Flash, without the teenage insecurities involved. From a world-building standpoint, it makes sense for some supporting characters to return.

All of Peter’s ties to his former life cannot simply disappear. He needs some threads that connect him to who he was, even if in a different way.

The nostalgia factor and wasted potential

I recognize that part of my emotion comes from pure and simple nostalgia. We’ve followed these characters for three movies, and although Flash was never the most developed, he was part of that ecosystem that we love so much.

Tony Revolori always had more potential than the movies allowed him to show. This could be his chance to really shine in the role, to show those layers that comics have explored for decades.

The date of July 31, 2026 seems far away, but each rumor excites me more. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has the potential to be not just a great superhero movie, but a deep exploration of what it means to start over.

If this rumor about Flash Thompson turns out to be true, we will be looking at one of the MCU’s smartest narrative decisions in a long time. Because sometimes, to move toward the future, we need to revisit the past with new eyes.

And that’s exactly what keeps Spider-Man the most human and relatable hero of them all.