Spider-Man: Brand New Day review: Indeed, for Spider-Man and Marvel too

The fourth film in the MCU Spider-Man series finally, and with skill, explores the emotional turmoil of a lonely superhero. Tom Holland delivers a soulful, heartening performance.

Rating: (3.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), starring Tobey Maguire, is held dearly by Gen X and Gen Y. No disrespect to Andrew Garfield, but the reboot in 2012 felt boring. Then came the big collaboration with Marvel, integrating Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though Sony retained creative control over the MCU Spider-Man films. Tom Holland succeeded Andrew Garfield as the lead.

Now that we’re into the fourth film, it’s clear that Holland is widely accepted as Spider-Man. This is notable given that yours truly never rated the three preceding feature films particularly highly. The special screening of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) yesterday, though, opened our eyes to how far we’ve come from the era of Tobey Maguire’s films-and why Holland is so adored by Gen Z.

A 5-year-wait for the next film, naturally made it tough to recall the events of No Way Home (2021). Well, why single out yours truly, when in No Way Home, entire world lost all memory of Peter Parker.  

What’s constant in the MCU Spider-Man film series are resident writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Director Destin Daniel Cretton, though, steps into the Spider-Man franchise having earlier helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. So, what does this ‘Brand New Day’ bring?

Story

Following the events of No Way Home, Spider-Man (Holland) finds himself increasingly challenged in curbing crime in New York City. He has no social life to speak of, with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) having no memory of him. Adding to his woes are arachnid-related evolutionary (hormonal) changes that leave our Spidey feeling even more isolated. Amid all this, he is confronted by a formidable foe about whom he knows very little.

Screenplay & Direction

Spider-Man is among the very few superheroes in the MCU franchise who stick to a no-lethal moral code. What sets Peter Parker apart from the rest is that most of his actions are purely defensive: all web, never any weapons. And it’s his pure heart that eventually calms even his toughest antagonists. It’s the same in Brand New Day, too, but what makes this Destin Daniel Cretton film feel fresh is how it explores the emotional, mental, and physical cost of being such a superhero. While Peter Parker is humble, and may even be scared to admit it, Cretton entrusts two unlikely characters to spell it out for Spider-Man. Frank Castle, aka The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), minces no words, telling Spider-Man that being lonely is not a choice but a pain. Later, new entrant Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) gently tells Spider-Man that they can at least take care of the robbers.  With quiet authority, DeWolff also gives voice to the long-standing grievances of law enforcement.

This candidness in showing the lonely side of Peter Parker, the human limit of Spider-Man, only humanises our superhero, and it’s welcoming. McKenna and Sommers’ simple but quality writing, Cretton’s fine direction, top-notch special effects and a stellar showing by both protagonist and antagonists truly make it a brand-new experience for fans and audiences alike. In doing so, Brand New Day helps Marvel beat franchise fatigue, proving there’s still fresh ground to explore even in a well-worn universe.

Acting

All these years of watching Spider-Man weave his web and scale New York’s tallest towers on the big screen has been a sight to behold. But only yesterday did a thought arise: would there even be a Spider-Man if there were no skyscrapers in New York, or in any American city? For a hero to stick to a no-lethal moral code while combatting some of the meanest baddies, casting only his webs to avert crimes and, in the process, saving not just innocents but even the villains themselves, phew, imagine such a hero without skyscrapers. Perched atop the tallest city buildings, keeping a vigil over any untoward incidents on the ground below, it may sound boring, but it’s these very skyscrapers that serve as Peter Parker’s workstation and make this legend unique.  9Being airborne is also the best way to beat New York’s infamous traffic).

Nine years into this franchise, Tom Holland has grown into the character, maturing with age and through every challenge and setback. Perhaps now even Gen X, Gen Y, and Maguire loyalists would admit that the teen-faced Holland has made Spider-Man his own. Unfortunately, the events of No Way Home have separated him not just from his beloved MJ, but from his only other friend, Ned. The MJ–Peter Parker reunion feels like a love letter that remained unsent. The conflict provides a reunion and momentarily lulls you into false hope, before the director wisely opts for pragmatism. It breaks fans’ hearts, but what’s that old adage? “With great power comes great responsibility.” And our Spider-Man is a long way from shirking responsibility. Holland’s here to stay for the long haul.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve forgotten Peter Parker, being MJ is a natural invitation to play the damsel in distress. Zendaya plays her role here with no regrets. That leaves Frank Castle to indulge in some bittersweet conversation with Spider-Man. Jon Bernthal truly lives up to his character’s name.  Mark Ruffalo engages viewers with Dr. Banner’s calm intellect and, as the Incredible Hulk, his rage.  Florence Pugh is overbearing as Yelena Belova, aka Black Widow, but in her cameo here she delights in her conversation with Spider-Man in her unique ‘office’ – a jacuzzi. Not berating, per se, but Pugh’s labelling of Spider-Man’s conflicts as “small potatoes” in that stereotypical Russian accent is funny.

The plot throws up some of the most unique challenges, antagonists for Spider-Man, but they also mean that talking or writing about them would be a reveal. Cretton has at his disposal two fine actors, but the characters and their stories have a predictability about them.

Technical Aspects

Given the standards Marvel has set in action, fans settle for nothing less. Cretton, along with his action and special-effects teams, delivers some high-octane sequences. The penultimate battle, pitting Spider-Man against a deadly squad of sword-wielding Ninja assassins, has you gasping for air.

Final thoughts

At nearly two and a half hours, Spider-Man: Brand New Day largely breezes by, offering adequate thrills but shining even more for its emotional quotient. So many decades have passed since Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man, and it’s remarkable how filmmakers haven’t changed the core DNA of Peter Parker. He remains your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man: one who keeps a tight watch, casts criminals in a web, never fires a bullet, and saves the city each time. Given the current world and its heartbreaking conflicts, one wishes there were not just one but plenty of Spider-Men to stop the death and destruction. If that were reality, that would truly be a brand-new day for mankind.