In a time of superhero fatigue and Marvel Studios putting out a couple more misses than hits in these last few Phases, Spider-Man: Brand New Day had to be a major hit. Avengers: Doomsday will cap off the year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), having been nine years since the last Avengers movie—Avengers: Endgame. This film had a lot of hype to build up MCU fans leading up to the big crossover movie, but Destin Daniel Cretton did not look pressured to force anything into this movie to directly hype up fans for Avengers: Doomsday. Instead, Cretton allowed Peter Parker/Spider-Man to be as human as he can be in this film.
Following Doctor Stephen Strange’s spell at the end of the film Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks an entirely new chapter for Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. He attempts to move past the burden of reminding his old friends who he was to them, in order to shield them from danger.
Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he has devoted himself entirely to protecting his city—a full-time Spider-Man. But as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced. Can Spidey handle this brand new reality he wrote himself into?
The story deliberately settles into one of the slowest-paced films in the MCU, and that ultimately works in its favour. Spider-Man: Brand New Day embraces a slow-burn approach, giving key moments room to breathe. It becomes a little more linear in the second and third acts, but that allows the cast to do what they do best: deliver authentic performances. There is not even a bombastic score accompanying Spider-Man for much of the film, with several scenes unfolding in near silence, allowing the actors to carry emotional monologues without distraction. It is rare to see characters in an MCU film simply sit and talk, and many of those conversations genuinely moved me.
Speaking of the score, Academy Award-winning and three-time Grammy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino returns for his fourth MCU Spider-Man film, bringing with him a restrained synthwave influence. For a film that leans far more into emotion than action, the music never overstays its welcome. Instead, it takes a back seat to the performances throughout Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Rather, it feels as though director Destin Daniel Cretton drew inspiration from Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man films, using licensed music to establish the tone of montages and transitional sequences.
“In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we actually see Spider-Man working a case to solve the unexplained crime patterns across New York City…”
With this being Tom Holland’s fourth mainline outing as Spider-Man, and his sixth appearance in the role overall, he delivers his strongest performance yet as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deserve plenty of credit for their work on the MCU Spider-Man films, but Holland brings an undeniable charisma to the role and even nails the New York accent when it matters most.
Even with the mask on, Holland understands how to modulate his voice to match the tone of each scene. Notably, he spends more time speaking while wearing the Spider-Man mask than ever before. Without Ned Leeds and MJ, the previous films often had Peter speak with the mask on during action sequences, then remove it when talking to them. Here, the approach allows the film to get more out of Holland’s performance without requiring him to remain unmasked.
All of this is to say that Cretton shows us what a more grounded Spider-Man looks like within the larger MCU. But what does that really mean? A local hero such as Spider-Man does not simply save people and stop criminals within his city. He also puts in the hard, tedious work required to deter crime.
“Thank goodness, the themes and the journey were worth putting up with the villain.”
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we actually see Spider-Man working a case and investigating unexplained crime patterns across New York City, including by speaking with Detective Jean DeWolff. We see him following leads, visiting other heroes and organizations for answers, knocking on doors and trying to understand the bigger picture. This is a Spider-Man without people in the chair supporting him, truly a lone spider audiences can sympathize with. This is not a Charlotte’s Web situation, though.
Without giving away too much, whenever Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink and Marisa Tomei are on screen, they deliver some of their strongest work. This is not a jab at the other notable supporting actors throughout Spider-Man: Brand New Day, including Liza Colón-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando and one unconfirmed performer. Rather, the returning actors from the MCU Spider-Man films have the chance to slow down and let their characters’ emotions simmer in silence. Even with a runtime of two hours and 25 minutes, these heartfelt moments never drag.
To me, the weakest part of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is its main villain. The character is not fully developed and feels like an enigma without a satisfying payoff by the time the credits roll. Thankfully, the film’s themes and Peter’s journey make the underwhelming villain easier to overlook. I can see the intention behind making this character’s presence alone enough to inspire fear, but it never approaches the level of someone such as Thanos or Galactus.
“Cretton absolutely reminds us why the superhero film genre exists: to inspire.”
Even though Bernthal and Sink were not part of the original Spider-Man cast, they bring their acting A-game to their roles. I was worried Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher, would be heavily toned down because this is ultimately a Spider-Man film, but I was proven wrong. Expect a long but worthwhile buildup to the full reveal of Sink’s character. I appreciated that she has several standout scenes that function almost like a short act dedicated to her character. I also expected the film’s cameos to amount to a series of one-off scenes, but most of them are integral to the overarching story and to Peter’s journey of discovery.
Those who have watched X-Men ’97 or the original X-Men: The Animated Series may find some of this film’s themes familiar and worthwhile. More specifically, Spider-Man: Brand New Day explores lost identity and the effects of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. With Cretton at the helm, it seems he has found a common thread among the Marvel characters he connects with: heroes who learn to accept every part of themselves and find their way back to the best versions of who they are. Similar themes helped Thunderbolts resonate with fans, particularly through the way the Void represented emotional baggage.
We see this a lot in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Xu Shang-Chi/Shaun has to find out everything about his past and how his past can help center him between becoming the best version of his hero self and his everyday self, which we see him hanging out with Katy. In Wonder Man, Simon Williams grappled with hiding his powers in order to become a thriving actor. The best part I like about the solutions to Cretton’s MCU heroes’ dilemmas is how specific people help the hero learn who they are: Shang-Chi with his complex father Wenwu, Simon with Trevor Slattery, and someone for Peter in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
What makes Cretton’s vision across his three MCU projects connect so deeply with audiences is the way he emphasizes that heroes can never truly save themselves, the world or New York City entirely on their own. To paraphrase Peter in the film, sometimes Spider-Man has to do things that do not make Peter Parker happy. In the end, no hero can do everything alone, which offers a valuable lesson for the children and teenagers watching. Cretton reminds us why the superhero genre exists: to inspire.
Whatever you expect Spider-Man: Brand New Day to be based on the comics you have read or the trailers you have watched, this film is, at most, only half of what you are anticipating. It is an MCU film that balances a fresh approach to its universe with what has already been established. To that I say: run, do not walk, or perhaps swing, to the theatre. This is the kind of film that should inspire the next generation of children who look up to superheroes.
