- Zendaya's black and white outfits on Spider-Man tour sparked MJ death fan theories
- Black is mourning color in the West; white is mourning color in China
- Zendaya hinted at a possible unhappy ending for Peter Parker's story
Social media has a theory that Zendaya's best press tour is always the next one. She and her stylist, Law Roach, are known for collaborating on intentional styling choices to deliver standout red-carpet looks, especially while promoting the actor's upcoming films.
Few stars have mastered film promotion through fashion quite like Zendaya and Law Roach. Ahead of the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 30, 2026, in India and July 31 across the US, the actor has sparked a wave of fan theories through her promotional looks.
How Zendaya's Red Carpet Looks Have Sparked MJ's Death Theories In Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel movie actors explicitly sign NDAs that prevent them from revealing spoilers. Benedict Cumberbatch, for instance, often accompanied Tom Holland during interviews because Holland had a reputation for accidentally revealing plot details. Zendaya hasn't said anything during her interviews, but fans are predicting that her character MJ will die in the latest film.
For most of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day press tour, Zendaya has worn black outfits. Only in Rome did she wear a blue-and-red skirt paired with a red crop top, a classic colour combination associated with Spider-Man's suit. For another appearance, she wore a backless grey-blue dress with cobweb-inspired details on the back.
After Rome, most of Zendaya's looks were black, a colour associated with mourning in the West. However, in China, Law Roach chose a Versace black gown with black net detailing. Interestingly, white is traditionally the colour of mourning in China and many other Asian communities.
As a result, fans have been speculating that Zendaya's character, MJ, will die in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The theory gained traction after Zendaya said in an interview, "As a fan of Peter Parker, I always want him to have a happy ending, but I don't know, guys... it's not looking good."
Fan Theories Surrounding MJ's Fate
Sharing the theory, a fan wrote, "Coincidence? I think not." In the video, the user said, "What if it wasn't just a fashion choice? What if they are trying to tell us something about MJ's fate in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?"
Another fan pointed out that Zendaya's black outfits were initially linked to Venom until she opted for a white gown in Shanghai. The fan wrote, "I was hoping she was just hinting at Venom with her all-black outfits and not a character dying, but now I'm genuinely worried."
A third user noted that Venom's symbiote was left behind at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Most people assume that it would attach itself to Peter, but what if it attached itself to MJ, allowing her to remember that Peter Parker is Spider-Man? Another possibility is that the symbiote first attaches itself to Peter and then to MJ, enabling her to see his memories as well.
A fourth fan wrote, "Based on Zendaya's outfits, she either dies or turns into Venom in Spider-Man: Brand New Day."
As Spider-Man: Brand New Day prepares for its theatrical release worldwide, social media is abuzz with fan theories about what viewers can expect from the latest Marvel film. For now, these remain speculations, and audiences will soon find out which theories, if any, turn out to be true when the film hits theatres.
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