Mary Jane’s New Boyfriend Paul From Spider-Man: Brand New Day Explained

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Actor Eman Esfandi is expected to appear in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day as Paul, a character known for being disliked by many Marvel fans. Paul is Mary Jane Watson’s boyfriend and a romantic rival to Peter Parker, and he’s been largely unpopular in the comics. It appears he’ll be creating trouble for Spider-Man in Brand New Day.

If the reports are accurate, Esfandi is set to play Paul Rabin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s a fantastic choice – he’s ideally suited for the role.

Playing this character is challenging. He’s unpopular with many dedicated Marvel fans, but that could be intentional for the film. Paul might act as a regular human villain, adding to the many threats Peter Parker faces.

Paul Rabin Is Marvel’s Most Hated Character In Years; Is He Mary Jane’s New MCU Boyfriend?

Peter Parker’s Romantic Foil, Explained

It’s been decades since a musical group like Peter, Paul, and Mary captured the public’s attention the way they did in the 1960s. If Paul Rabin, Mary Jane Watson’s boyfriend from the comics, appears in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie, it will likely intensify the strong negative feelings many Marvel fans already have towards the character.

Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson are famously known as one of Marvel’s greatest couples. However, for the past two decades within Marvel stories, they’ve actually spent more time separated than together, which has frustrated many fans who root for them. To make things even more complicated, since 2022, Mary Jane has been in a long-term relationship with Paul Rabin, creating another hurdle for a potential reunion.

It’s understandable that Marvel fans dislike Paul, as he complicates Peter and MJ’s relationship. However, the character hasn’t often been written in a way that makes him sympathetic. He’s usually portrayed as flawed or, at times, simply unpleasant.

Eman Esfandi Is Perfect Casting For Paul In The MCU, But It’s A Thankless Role

Exploring Options For Adapting Paul To The MCU

From a storytelling perspective, it makes perfect sense to give Mary Jane a new boyfriend in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. After Peter Parker was erased from her memory in No Way Home, having MJ in a relationship creates a realistic obstacle and adds complexity to the eventual reunion of her and Peter.

Eman Esfandi, who many know as Ezra Bridger from Ahsoka, certainly looks the part of Paul Rabin. The bigger question is how Marvel will portray the character. There are essentially three possibilities. One is to stay true to the comic book version, which isn’t villainous, but also isn’t the character fans would want to see romantically involved with Mary Jane.

Another possibility is to make Paul a clear villain for Peter. The MCU could tap into the existing negative feelings fans have towards Paul and portray him as a truly awful and unlikeable character – think of a comically bad boyfriend in a rom-com. This could be the simplest route, as many viewers already dislike Paul, making it easy to establish him as the bad guy.

Another possibility is for the MCU to create a genuinely appealing version of Paul. They could make him someone Marvel fans actually like, despite the character’s history in the comics. Instead of portraying him as a terrible boyfriend for Mary Jane, they could make him a strong contender – a romantic rival to Peter Parker because he’s actually a great match for her. This would be a surprising move, but it would be more challenging to execute.

“Brand New Day” Is Marvel’s Chance To Fix 20 Years Of Mistakes With Spider-Man

Hate Him All You Want, Paul Needs To Be Included

Marvel fans finally got what they wanted in 2025: a breakup between Paul and Mary Jane. MJ actually ended the relationship, which felt like Marvel was admitting the character and their romance hadn’t resonated well with audiences. Interestingly, despite this, 2026 could bring Paul’s introduction into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Many Marvel fans dislike the recent storylines involving Paul, and their frustration started years ago. Dedicated readers were upset in 2007 when Marvel retconned Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson’s marriage in the ‘One More Day’ storyline, and the ending of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ brought those feelings back to the surface.

Brand New Day had the potential to fix issues from previous storylines in the Spider-Man series, but it also risked repeating the mistakes of the ‘One More Day’ arc. Regardless, writer Paul felt compelled to contribute to Brand New Day, even though it was a fresh take on the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.

Paul’s MCU Role Is Bad News For Peter Parker, Great News For Fans Of Superhero Drama

Brand New Day Just Got Messier; That’s A Good Thing

It’s quite possible the Spider-Man: Brand New Day storyline could cover everything about Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s relationship. If Peter manages to help MJ remember him, or if they rekindle their romance during the movie, Paul could simply be another obstacle they have to overcome.

Paul’s appearance in the Brand New Day script might hint at bigger problems for Peter Parker. However, from a storytelling perspective, it’s a positive sign. This new direction adds an exciting element to the Marvel universe and should build anticipation for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

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2026-01-06 02:04