Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters this weekend, five long years after Spider-Man: No Way Home was released at the end of 2021. However, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and with Peter Parker given time to grow up—four years have passed in-universe since Doctor Strange’s spell—the result is one of the best Spider-Man movies yet. It’s a brand new day for Spider-Man, and by bringing the character more in line with his comic book counterpart, Marvel Studios has hit upon a winning formula that propels Spidey into a spectacular new era of storytelling.
When we catch up with Peter, he’s become a beloved street-level superhero in New York, but spends more time in costume than he does out of it. He has no life, and even forgoes his apartment for a headquarters of sorts that’s away from everyone else in his building (with only a few touching reminders of his life as Peter). A chance encounter with Ned brings him and MJ back into his life, and a mysterious villain with the ability to hop between and control minds poses a particularly big challenge to Spidey at a time when he’s also dealing with the evolution of his superpowers. Will he choose to be more spider than man, or can Peter remember who he was before the world forgot him?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s story is hugely emotional at times, and knowing that fans love these characters and are invested in their respective journeys, the movie is undoubtedly at its best when it focuses on Peter's inner turmoil (which expresses itself outwardly in surprising ways). There’s a particularly powerful, neon-lit moment between Spider-Man and MJ that comes as an absolute gut punch, and the scenes they share resonate in a way that the relationships in other superhero movies or TV shows have yet to achieve.
With Destin Daniel Cretton at the helm (and working with a wonderfully written script), it’s no surprise that this film oozes quality, both in terms of the character beats and action. The web-swinging scenes are even better than Sam Raimi’s, while the fight scenes, heavily inspired by both the comics and Insomniac’s video games, are among the franchise’s most energetic, exciting efforts. There’s a lot of love for the source material in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with some shots recreating classic comic book covers (it’s hard not to wish they hadn’t been spoiled in the trailers) and others akin to an Alex Ross painting come to life. Spider-Man has never looked better on screen, and the costume is impossible to fault. Cretton was, without a doubt, the best director to pick up where the brilliant Jon Watts left off, and he should absolutely remain at the helm of the remainder of this trilogy.
That’s not to say Spider-Man: Brand New Day is flawless. The Hand’s insertion into the movie doesn’t feel overly natural, while it’s a little hard to reconcile the fact that the movie’s primary antagonist isn’t actually a Spider-Man villain. Their presence here sets up another exciting Marvel Studios franchise, and even drops some interesting hints about the Department of Damage Control’s machinations. Still, whether a Spider-Man movie was the best place for that is debatable. Many of the villains teased for Brand New Day receive little more screen time than audiences have already seen in the trailers, with a potentially very interesting Scorpion story, for example, squandered by not exploring his origin story or doing more with him than a couple of admittedly thrilling fight scenes. There’s also no denying that the movie would have benefitted from shooting at least some scenes in New York. Overall, these are minor nitpicks in a near two-and-a-half-hour movie, and what works actually works so well that they’re not going to ruin your enjoyment in any meaningful way.
Tom Holland is astonishing as Peter Parker, delivering by far his best work as Spider-Man and perhaps even his finest performance as an actor yet. He’s been an ideal choice to play the hero since he first showed up in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, but it now feels like he’s fully inhabiting Spider-Man in a way that has made this character entirely his own. Whatever Marvel and Sony have to do to keep him around for the long haul should be a priority. This is someone you don’t just build a franchise around; you can have the whole world revolve around them.
Jon Bernthal is a standout as The Punisher, effortlessly bringing Frank Castle into a PG-13 setting by exploring a contentious, sibling-like dynamic between Spider-Man and the murderous vigilante. Spider-Man: Brand New Day hints at unseen adventures featuring these two, and there’s hopefully more to come. Bernthal brings some great, natural humour to Frank—seeing him squabble with Spidey is side-splittingly funny—but never compromises who this character is. Mark Ruffalo is also fantastic in a small supporting role as The Hulk fans have been desperate to see back on screen for years now, while Zendaya is on top form as a more mature MJ who now plays a very different role in Spider-Man’s life. She’s superb here, and unsurprisingly, the chemistry she shares with Holland is electric. Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Michael Mando deliver strong supporting turns, and Sadie Sink…well, what can we say? The cat is out of the bag when it comes to who she’s playing in the MCU, but to keep things spoiler-free here, let’s say she’s a highlight and someone we can’t wait to see more of moving forward.
With some top-notch needle drops, Michael Giacchino's sublime score, and breathtaking visuals, the result is perhaps the best Multiverse Saga movie since, well, Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, by far the movie's biggest achievements are those emotional moments between its characters. Ultimately, those build to a finale that makes good on the title.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is everything fans could want. Emotional, hilarious, and heartfelt, it’s an action-packed love letter to the comics and one of Spidey’s best big-screen adventures. Spider-Man has never been more amazing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐