Sony tapped the New York Mets and star outfielder Juan Soto for a promotional campaign supporting the release of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." The partnership aimed to leverage the iconic superhero's New York City roots, particularly his residence in the same borough as the baseball team.
A social media video featuring Soto fanboying over Spider-Man at Citi Field debuted in mid-July. The clip showed the baseball player meeting the web-slinger and the Mets' mascot, Mr. Met. Soto, a self-professed fan of the character, readily agreed to participate. The team has also incorporated a Spider-Man mask into their dugout celebrations this season after a fan gifted Soto one earlier in the year.
The collaboration was filmed on an off-day for the team, with a stunt double in the Spider-Man suit and Tom Holland providing a voiceover. Filming took a few hours, with concerns about impending rain.
This initiative represented a more involved partnership for Sony with Major League Baseball than in previous Spider-Man film releases, which often featured special theme nights or bobblehead giveaways. The studio approached MLB in March with the idea of collaborating with an athlete. The connection to the Mets became evident due to Spider-Man's fictional home in Queens, a link also previously acknowledged in the comic books, with a Mike Piazza banner spotted in Peter Parker's bedroom in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
Further tie-ins included actor Jacob Batalon, a co-star in the "Spider-Man" series, throwing out the first pitch at Citi Field during a "Spider-Man" themed night, which also featured a special T-shirt giveaway. The stadium has also hosted filming for other Hollywood projects, including the upcoming baseball rom-com "The Catch," starring Chris Pine and Emma Stone. Soto himself made a cameo appearance in "The Catch," further building his presence in film productions.