There are few (if any) castings more perfect than J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. First appearing in 2002’s Spider-Man, the actor brilliantly brought the Daily Bugle editor in chief to life, instantly becoming one of the most memorable supporting characters in Sam Raimi’s trilogy. Simmons was such an ideal fit in the role that it became impossible to see anyone else portraying Jameson. So when Marvel Studios decided to give the character his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut towards the end of 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, they smartly brought Simmons back for a surprise cameo. The actor once again reprised the part in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but fans shouldn’t expect to see him again this summer.
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In an interview with ComicBook to promote his new series TheWesties (arriving on MGM+ on July 12th), Simmons debunked rumors claiming that he would be back as Jameson in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. “Not in it, dude. I don’t know who on the internet decided that that was fact, but I ain’t in it,” he said
Why Isn’t J. Jonah Jameson Returning in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
There’s been so much speculation regarding Spider-Man: Brand New Day that it isn’t surprising there have been plenty of rumors about Simmons’ potential return. Compared to some of the theories that have been floating out there, a small role for J. Jonah Jameson seemed realistic, especially since the character has been established in the MCU. Even though the world has forgotten Peter Parker, Spider-Man is still known, meaning the MCU’s Jameson should still have a vendetta against the “masked menace.” It admittedly would have been fun to hear Jameson’s commentary about a Spider-Man who’s become more dangerous due to his mutating DNA, but that’ll be left to fans’ imagination.
It’s disappointing to hear Simmons confirm he won’t be back (unless he’s trying to pull an Andrew Garfield and is playing coy), but there are logical reasons why the actor isn’t returning. It’s possible the Brand New Day creative team wanted to include Jameson but they were unable to iron out scheduling details with Simmons. Brand New Day started production in August 2025. As a point of comparison, The Westies began filming in July 2025. Simmons is part of the show’s main cast, so he was likely busy with his role for the series. On the actor’s IMDb page, The Westies is just one of many 2026 projects he has that have either been completed or in post-production, so any of those could have caused a scheduling conflict with Marvel.
Something else to consider is that there simply may not have been a place to organically feature J. Jonah Jameson in the Brand New Day story. As fun as it was to see Simmons in the previous two MCU Spider-Man films, this iteration of Jameson has always been a bit player — one who hasn’t been a part of Peter’s personal arc save for revealing his secret identity. It made sense for Sam Raimi’s take on Jameson to have meatier supporting roles because he was Peter’s boss at The Daily Bugle, giving him a clear spot to fit into the narratives those movies were trying to tell. Brand New Day has so much on its plate already between Peter’s troubled emotional state, the presence of Hulk and Punisher, Sadie Sink’s mystery role, a cornucopia of Marvel villains, and the status of Peter’s old friends that shoehorning in Jameson as well could come across as forced. A fan favorite like Simmons should only be utilized if he has something substantial (or surprising) to do.
This doesn’t mean Simmons’ days of playing J. Jonah Jameson are over, however. With Brand New Day shaping up to be one of the biggest box office hits of the year, the Spider-Man franchise isn’t going anywhere any time soon. In the buildup to Brand New Day‘s release, Holland has been openly discussing his ideas for the future, pitching a recurring partnership with the Punisher and a mentor/mentee dynamic between Peter and Miles Morales. If Spider-Man is still swinging around New York being a friendly neighborhood hero, you can bet J. Jonah Jameson is keeping a close eye on him, so perhaps there will be a spot for Simmons in Spider-Man 5 a few years from now.
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