One of the most talked-about moments in Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues to spark fan theories, and now Jacob Batalon has shared his own take on the film's emotional handshake scene between Ned and Peter.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Batalon said the moment was intentionally left open to interpretation and stopped short of confirming whether Ned actually remembers Peter following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. "Does Ned actually remember him, though?" Batalon asked. "What if it's just muscle memory? What if he just remembers that handshake but nothing else about Peter? What if he just repeats 'Peter' because that's what Peter says his name is in that moment?"

The actor added that he prefers the ambiguity surrounding the sequence. "I don't know. I feel like it's really up to interpretation for everyone. For me, I think it's a really cool little nod, so hopefully things happen from there."

Batalon's comments come after Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton addressed the same scene, explaining that it was designed to leave audiences wondering whether the bond between Peter and Ned transcends memory itself. Rather than offering a definitive answer, the filmmaker encouraged viewers to draw their own conclusions about the exchange.

The handshake has emerged as one of the film's most discussed scenes among Marvel fans, with many interpreting it as a subtle hint that fragments of Peter's past relationships may still exist despite the spell that erased him from everyone's memory. Batalon's latest remarks, however, suggest the filmmakers are in no hurry to settle that debate.

Also starring Sadie Sink, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Liza Colon Zayas, and Tramell Tillman, among others, the film is currently playing in theatres. At the box office, the film has collected $1 billion globally.