In 2007, Marvel Comics took one of the bravest editorial decisions in its long history. Editor-in-chief Joe Quesada felt that the company’s most popular character, Spider-Man, needed a major retcon to ensure his longevity. The result was “One More Day,” a four-part crossover, written by J. Michael Straczynski with art by Quesada, that is still discussed and loathed today as one of the worst stories in Spidey’s long tenure.

According to many fans, “One More Day” negatively influenced the character for the following two decades. In the story, Spider-Man makes a deal with Mephisto to save the life of Aunt May, who had been shot by an assassin as a consequence of Peter’s unmasking during Civil War. In exchange, the demon wants Peter’s marriage to Mary Jane. After the two accept the deal, history is remade. In the new canon, Peter was late to his wedding due to his activities as Spider-Man, prompting him and MJ to reconsider their marriage. As a bonus, Doctor Strange finds a way to wipe Spider-Man’s secret identity from everybody’s mind.

Some elements of this storyline were adapted for the movies Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The former introduces Strange’s mind-wipe spell, which erases not just Peter’s identity as Spider-Man but his whole existence from everyone’s mind. The latter shows us the dire consequences of such a reality-altering effect. However, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s portrayal of Peter’s isolation and depression was mostly effective, it was not enough to wipe away the curse of “One More Day.” In fact, the movie ended up repeating one key mistake from the comics.

To understand why Brand........

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