Spider-Man is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth entry in the Web Crawler’s story, with Tom Holland returning as Peter Parker. It’s been a few years since Peter was erased from existence following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home; how is he navigating his new life, all alone in New York City?
Alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya returns as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds. Also joining the cast are Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, and Sadie Sink in a mysterious role. Ok, not so much of a mystery any more, but if you don’t already know the character, then I am not planning to spoil it for you in this review. Watch the movie to find out.
The last time we saw Spider-Man in the MCU, he’d lost his last living relative, Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), during a battle with a bunch of Spidey villains, and Peter decided to have himself erased from the minds of everyone in the world so that he could protect his remaining loved ones—his girlfriend MJ and his best friend Ned.
Alone and unable to contact the Avengers (because they don’t know who he is) or even follow through on his own educational ambitions of joining his friends at MIT, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we see Peter going solo as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Spidey is a true hero of New York, taking down a slew of bad guys and keeping his city safe.
The problem? Peter has no life. He literally lives to fight crime. He’s cocooned himself from the rest of humanity. But that won’t last long because a new villain has appeared. And they could be… anyone.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels true to its comic book origins
Spider-Man: Brand New Day finally feels like the grounded version of Peter Parker that has made the character so enduring. Peter is supposed to fight for his neighborhood, but in the MCU, he’s been everywhere, including space, and New York’s been forgotten.
He also had the backing of one of the MCU’s richest characters, Tony Stark/Iron Man, so Peter’s had access to technology, security (and money), that his comic version didn’t have. In other words, MCU Peter Parker, for all his merits, did not embody Stan Lee’s vision that anyone could be Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day attempts to reset that narrative. Peter’s on his own; he has to make do with his own smarts, his own skills, and his own mistakes. He’s also back down to Earth, trying to keep his vicinity safe. This means working with the local departments, not against them.
However, Peter still has an incredible setup, which may be leftovers from his previous life, but we never find out how he’s sustaining himself financially. Had that aspect been added, the film would have perfectly captured the comic book character.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day looks spectacular
The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who is able to juggle both the grounded and spectacular aspects of a superhero film. Alongside cinematographer Brett Pawlak, Cretton gives New York a crowded, grungy look that feels so authentic. There are so many people filling out the tapestry of New York, and every extra who gets screen time brings their own personality to the character, turning them from a blob in the background to a real person who Peter, and we the audience, would care for.
And yet, Cretton brings a deft, innovative hand to the fantastical elements of this film. Like the action scenes he directed in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the fight scenes are fast but not chaotic. You purposely feel the punches which adds to our empathy for Peter.
But nothing quite measures up to the point-of-view shots of Spidey swinging through the air. New York looks so vast, the skyscrapers seem so high, and the sky above, endless. It’s breathtaking and dizzying, in the best way. Spider-Man: Brand New Day embeds you in Spidey’s world and becomes an immersive experience.
Criticisms of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Spider-Man: Brand New Day does a lot right, but it falls short of being an ultimate Spider-Man experience because of two major issues.
The film felt a little too slow at times, which undoes the emotional heft of several moments. I was surprised that Cretton didn’t find the right rhythm for telling this story. Which is the second issue—there is a lot going on in this film. Especially in the third act, where whole new dimensions of the story are revealed to the audience.
The pacing ramped up, but the focus was then pulled everywhere. A convenient parallel is found while a major obstacle facing a character is, seemingly, quickly resolved. While the first part of the film had measured character development but stodgy storytelling, the latter part flips the script. It’s not to the complete detriment of the characters, but the emotional stakes are cut short.
I also question the denouement, which suggests that MCU superheroes are less interested in fighting crime for altruistic reasons and more invested in being recognized for them. This comes on the heels of Thunderbolts* where a similar question was asked—but those were anti-heroes doing their best, so we could forgive them. Had Spider-Man been persona non-grata like he usually is in the comics, the denouement would have been understandable.
Characters and cameos in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
The characters, or versions of characters, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be an interesting conversation for a lot of people. Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) was introduced in the trailers, and everyone has been wondering how the hyper-violent, swearing, cursing character would fit into the PG-13 world of Spider-Man. It works, for me anyway, because Bernthal taps into the ludicrous and human side of his character, and the creative team makes him the antithesis of Spider-Man.
There are also a few cameos in the film—would it be a Marvel movie without them? There aren’t as many as one would expect, but they’re enjoyable reminders of the grander universe we know exists beyond Spider-Man’s neighborhood.
Sadie Sink’s entry into the MCU has been rife with rumors. Marvel has a huge slate of comic book characters, all of whom are someone’s favorite. They won’t get all their adaptations correct. Sink’s performance is adequate, but the choice of character and origin story is questionable. I am not happy with the decisions made with this character.
Get ready to cry during Spider-Man: Brand New Day
The screening of Spider-Man: Brand New Day I attended began with a clip of Tom Holland talking about how they made a really emotional film for the fans. He’s not wrong! There are a lot of tears in the film.
Writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have written all four of the MCU Spider-Man films, and you can tell they know this version of the character really well. They know we love Peter and also why we love Peter—he’s kind, earnest, funny, has a huge heart, and most importantly, he’s a good person. We’ve seen Peter grow and the journey he’s been on. And they play to the strengths of that knowledge to bring Peter, and us, a ton of heartache.
But the writing can only go so far if it doesn’t have the performances to bring the emotions to life. Well, Tom Holland has been stealing our hearts and breaking them as Peter Parker since his debut in Captain America: Civil War. And he really ups his game in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Not only does he know how to emote with aplomb, but he does it so naturally that you forget he’s acting.
The rest of the cast all have their moments to evoke dramatic emotions from the audience. A great combination of writing and performances comes together to give viewers a wholesome experience back in the MCU.
Add us as a preferred source on Google