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| Spider-Man: Brand New Day |
Walt Disney Pictures / Columbia Pictures
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo
Music: Michael Giacchino
Cinematography: Brett Pawlak
Producers: Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, Rachel O’Connor
Runtime: 145 minutes
Screenplay: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Justin Kuritzkes
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
After deciding to remain forgotten by MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), Peter Parker (Goya-nominated Tom Holland) maintains the solitary lifestyle he has reluctantly embraced as he distances himself from the people he cares about. We see him facing numerous villains while longing to have his friends back. Peter watches the days go by, taking hits in every possible way, whether physically at the hands of the wonderfully diverse gallery of villains or by seeing couples displaying public affection on the subway, reminding him of what he can no longer have. His new life is as miserable as it sounds, and he is now also experiencing unexpected physical changes, leading to a sort of mutation in his DNA that transforms him into a new version of Spider-Man as a superhero and Peter Parker as a person, taking him from childhood into adulthood.
After losing Aunt May (Oscar winner Marisa Tomei), Peter Parker’s most important motivation is to understand and embrace the responsibility of being Spider-Man in order to protect the people he loves. Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) enters the picture, leading to several clashes with the web-slinger because of their respective personalities. This happens before Peter takes on a new mission to uncover a mysterious entity that not only possesses people but also uses every means available to break into the headquarters of the Department of Damage Control, led by the mysterious Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman).
With the change in directors, from Jon Watts to Destin Daniel Cretton, we see something positive for the character, as a hint of maturity begins to emerge both physically and emotionally. We have already had three films in which Peter made the leap from adolescence into adulthood; it is time to confront him with more complex situations, and perhaps the new director’s energy and vision will do him good.
And Cretton understands the assignment: make a Spider-Man movie that is actually about SPIDER-MAN!
Watts took on the job, but was essentially tied to portraying Spider-Man merely as Iron Man’s (Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr.) sidekick and later having him confront Doctor Strange (Oscar-nominated Benedict Cumberbatch). Let’s be honest: the character was little more than a puppet connecting the story to the Marvel Universe, due to the rights-sharing arrangement between Sony and Disney.
Cretton makes much greater use of CGI than he did in the Oscar-nominated Shang-Chi (2021). Holland’s physique helps make the fight scenes look visually impeccable, while Peter now has a greater sense of three-dimensionality that expands his narrative arc. This is the Spider-Man we deserve in these times, although the performances of Tobey Maguire and Oscar-nominated Andrew Garfield still set a standard that keeps its distance from the young British actor.
Jon Bernthal has very good chemistry with Holland. Frank Castle is not as violent as he should be (Kevin Feige has to sell movie tickets to the whole family), but his interaction with Spider-Man is certainly peculiar. Sadie Sink plays an important role in the antagonist’s motivations. She may not receive the best character development, but the young actress proves to be a welcome addition to the MCU.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (2026) attempts to offer a fresh start for Peter, but the overload of characters, Easter eggs, MCU connections, jokes, and everything else we already know is part of this universe continues to weigh the film down. It has the spirit of the best Spider-Man stories, but also the fatigue that comes with the subgenre. Will it make a lot of money at the box office? Of course! Are there many more Tom Holland movies as the web-slinger to come? Absolutely! Will we continue seeing Zendaya walking the red carpet in those spectacular designs her stylist Law Roach secures for her through haute couture fashion houses? Definitely—because that is far more exciting than the movie itself!
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