Who Are SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’s Red Ninjas?

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Wow, the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer looks rough for Peter Parker! He’s already dealing with villains like the Scorpion and the Punisher, and to make things worse, nobody seems to remember him. Plus, there’s this strange spider illness going on – it’s all a bit confusing. It’s definitely not the fresh start he was hoping for! And on top of everything, he’s facing a whole group of ninjas! As a longtime Marvel fan, I’m especially intrigued by these red-suited ninjas – they seem to be connected to The Hand, a really notorious group that’s been causing trouble for heroes since the early 80s.

Who Are the Hand in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

The Hand first appeared in the comic book Daredevil #174 in 1981, during a significant period for the series written by Frank Miller. Miller also created key characters like Elektra and established Daredevil’s training with the enigmatic mentor, Stick. Over time, the Hand’s backstory has been expanded, portraying them as one of the oldest and most magically powerful villainous organizations in the Marvel Universe. Beyond typical criminal activity, they are known for assassinations and using dark magic to revive the dead, turning them into loyal servants.

The Hand usually battles street-level New York heroes like Daredevil, or ninja-skilled members of the X-Men, such as Wolverine and Psylocke. Ninjas were extremely popular in the 1980s, and writers Frank Miller and Chris Claremont both greatly admired Japanese culture. This shared interest led them to feature the Hand when they collaborated on the first solo Wolverine miniseries in 1982, sending Logan to Japan to fight them.

The Hand Return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Viewers who enjoyed the Marvel shows on Netflix will likely remember the Hand. This shadowy organization consistently caused trouble for Daredevil throughout the first two seasons. We first learn about their power and influence over New York City’s criminal underworld in season one. They team up with Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin, introducing us to key members like Madame Gao and Nobu Yoshioka, who continue to be problems for Matt Murdock as the show goes on.

At the end of the first season of Daredevil, Matt destroys Nobu, but the Hand brings him back to life in season two. This is also when Elektra, Matt’s ex-girlfriend and a new source of trouble, returns. Throughout the season, the Hand prove to be a constant danger, and Daredevil and the Punisher team up to fight them, ultimately leading to Elektra’s death.

The Hand became the primary villains in both Iron Fist and The Defenders. After the Netflix series concluded, they disappeared—but now they’ve returned!

Will the Hand Be Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s Main Enemy?

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I was really excited by the trailer for Brand New Day! We get two awesome glimpses of him battling The Hand. There’s this intense scene where he actually catches one of their swords while he’s unmasked, inside a prison, which is super cool. And then, right at the end, he drops down into a swarm of ninjas – it looks like a classic 1-vs-100 fight, and honestly, that’s something we haven’t really seen Spidey do much of in the MCU so far. It’s a great look!

As a huge cinema fan, one of the things I’m really wondering about this movie is whether The Hand are the big bad guys, or just a constant nuisance. We still don’t know what caused Peter’s strange new powers, so it’s possible they’re connected. And I’m curious if they have anything to do with the Punisher’s storyline too. I’m predicting Spider-Man will probably bounce between all these different threads, popping up where he’s needed, because that’s just what he does!

The Hand would be a strong and challenging enemy for any Marvel hero. However, I suspect Sony will want the main villain in a Spider-Man movie to be someone connected to Spider-Man specifically, though I could be wrong.

We should find out soon. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters July 31.

Kyle Anderson is a Senior Editor at TopMob and the host of the weekly podcast, Laser Focus, where he dives deep into pop culture. He also writes film and TV reviews, and you can find him on Letterboxd.

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2026-03-18 23:03