Tom Holland Finally Brings Excitement Back to the MCU With Spider-Man: Brand New Day

For more than 60 years, Spider-Man has been the heart of the Marvel Universe. The web-slinger wasn’t the first hero in the comic company’s shared world, but Amazing Spider-Man quickly became the crown jewel of Marvel’s publishing line. Spider-Man’s stories birthed a fictionalized version of New York City that fans came to know and love. This version featured countless heroes and villains all coexisting and frequently coming into contact with Spider-Man. The Marvel Cinematic Universe brought the shared universe concept to the big screen, but outside the alien invasion in 2012’s Avengers, New York largely seemed to exist as Spider-Man’s solo playground.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day offers the first take on New York City that feels authentic to what has been a part of the comics for more than six decades. As Spider-Man works to uncover a new mystery while dealing with his own personal problems, his journey brings him into contact with the Hulk, Punisher, Scorpion, Tombstone, and others. While audiences have complained that Marvel’s movies sometimes feel like homework, the characters feel additive in this movie, enriching Spider-Man’s world while keeping the hero at the center of the narrative where he belongs. The result feels more like a Spider-Man comic than any previous big-screen attempt.

Peter Parker Lives a Different Life in Brand New Day

When Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is dealing with the fallout from his decision at the climax of No Way Home. Thanks to Doctor Strange, no one has any recollection of Peter Parker’s existence, including his former girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and former best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Estranged from MJ and Ned, and with Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) also dead, Peter Parker has largely given up his civilian identity, existing almost exclusively as Spider-Man. In the years since the last film, he’s built a partnership with police detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas), as well as a strained relationship with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), also known as the Punisher.

In many ways, Spider-Man: Brand New Day echoes elements of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. Both films are about Peter Parker failing to meet his own needs and the impact it has on Spider-Man’s powers. Brand New Day quickly establishes that Peter’s focus on heroism is starting to have negative effects on his body, first in the way of headaches and then changing the way that his powers operate. As Peter tries his best to ignore his own health issues, a mysterious new villain begins a series of attacks on facilities run by the government agency known as Damage Control, led by Bill Metzger (Travis Tillman).

After three movies where Peter Parker wasn’t faced with a lot of the character’s real-world problems, Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers a take on the character that mostly feels authentic to the comics. He doesn’t have Tony Stark or Happy Hogan’s bank accounts, forcing him to rely more on his wits and abilities. If there’s one area where Brand New Day stumbles, it’s the fact that the film never clearly establishes how Peter is living his life without some form of income. There’s no Daily Bugle, Peter isn’t working as a teacher or lab assistant, and he isn’t seen delivering pizzas. It’s a small exclusion, but one that could have helped further deliver the grounded take fans have been clamoring for since Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Spidey’s Friends Are a Necessary Inclusion in Brand New Day

Prior to the movie’s release, Marvel had hyped up the Punisher’s presence in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it was unclear just how much he would be present. The movie features multiple characters making a quick appearance, but that’s not the case with Frank Castle, and it’s to the movie’s benefit. Holland and Bernthal have been real-life friends for several years, and both actors bring that chemistry to the big screen. Interactions between them are one of the biggest highlights of Brand New Day, as their different methods of dealing with their mutual enemies bring them into conflict. Putting Frank Castle in a PG-13 movie was something of a gamble, but the character first debuted in an all-ages Spider-Man comic. Director Destin Daniel Cretton managed to get a version in the movie that feels authentic to the Frank Castle in Marvel’s various streaming shows, even without his trademark violence.

In addition to the Punisher, Peter finds himself interacting with both Bruce Banner and his alias, the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). The movie could have easily become overstuffed, but like last year’s Superman, the other heroes are there in service to the story. This isn’t a big, universal threat requiring an Avengers team-up; in fact, one surprise character even refers to the threat as “small potatoes.” Instead, these characters are in the movie because they make sense in the story’s context. Banner is there because Peter needs an expert to turn to when he needs help with his own biological changes, similar to the Hulk. Unsurprisingly, Banner’s alter ego also shows up in the movie, giving Peter a physical threat to contend with. Spider-Man might not have the strength of Thor, but his conflict with the Hulk shows how he’s grown into a capable hero.

While Spider-Man’s heroic relationships are a highlight of Brand New Day, the film never loses sight of Peter’s personal life. MJ and Ned remain in key roles, and the movie does an exceptional job showcasing Peter’s internal torment. After three movies together, the separation of Peter, MJ, and Ned can be felt in a big way, and Holland sells the anguish of missing out on key moments in the lives of his friends. It’s possible that the real-life romance between Holland and Zendaya attributed to the authenticity of the on-screen chemistry between their characters. Spider-Man comics have always put the drama of Peter’s personal life front and center, and Brand New Day arguably does a much better job juggling the fallout from MJ’s forgotten memories than the specific comics that inspired it.

Brand New Day is a Return to Glory for the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel Studios

Since the original Spider-Man movie’s arrival in theaters in 2002, Marvel and Sony have brought some of the character’s biggest enemies to the big screen. Brand New Day slightly deviates from this formula, as it doesn’t feature a Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, or Mysterio. Instead, the movie highlights some of Spider-Man’s lesser known enemies, with characters like Boomerang, Tombstone, and Scorpion appearing in smaller roles. Fans of the comics will likely be left wanting more from these characters, but their brief appearances make for more visually interesting moments than having generic bank robbers or carjackers. Hopefully, Marvel will use these on-screen debuts as an excuse to bring back Boomerang and Tombstone in the future, as the company did with Scorpion.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day does feature a central antagonist, and it’s one that Marvel has kept largely under wraps since the film was announced. The threat sows the seeds for huge happenings in future Marvel movies, and that will surely dominate discussions about Brand New Day for years to come. The character represents a unique threat, yet it’s one that naturally connects the narrative. For her part, Sadie Sink does very well in the role, and it will be interesting to see her character develop in the future.

Spider-Man is the heart of the Marvel Universe, and his latest big-screen adventure masterfully threads the needle between a massive MCU event and a small potatoes Peter Parker story. Brand New Day delivers the spectacle of a summer blockbuster, but it never loses sight of Peter Parker’s smaller struggle to balance his power and responsibility. Those elements have been a key part of Spider-Man fiction for more than six decades, but it still manages to feel fresh when a story can hit all the right notes. Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t just the best Marvel movie in years; it might be the single best Spider-Man movie since the Tom Holland era began.

Release Date

July 31, 2026

Runtime

145 Minutes

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Writers

Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee

Producers

Amy Pascal, Kevin Feige, Rachel O’Connor, Avi Arad

• 

  Spider-Man / Peter Parker

•