Most superhero movies (and a lot of other movies besides) feature some form of MacGuffin - an object, device, or event that drives the plot of a story and motivates the characters, but has little or no real importance on its own - and Spider-Man: Brand New Day is no different... until it is.
Mild spoilers ahead.
When focus shifts to Sadie Sink's character, it comes to light that she is targeting Damage Control because she is desperately searching for something known as V-Max. Spider-Man figures out what the mysterious "mind-hopper" is up to and attempts to discover exactly what V-Max is to better understand his enemy's motivations.
On the surface, V-Max does serve as a MacGuffin, but all credit to Brand New Day's writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers for brilliantly subverting the trope for a genuinely devastating reveal.
Brand New Day has only just arrived in theaters, so we really don't want to spoil every detail of this third-act twist, but the revelation casts Sink's character and her seemingly villainous mission in a very different light.
Given the nature of the genre and the fairly basic storytelling structure superhero films generally adhere to, MacGuffins can often be unavoidable, but Brand New Day proves that this overused plot device can also serve and even enhance the story.
Have you seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day yet? If so, let us know what you made of the movie in the comments.
Following the record-breaking success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins a brand new chapter for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult and living alone after erasing himself and the memories of him from those he loves. In a New York that no longer knows his name, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to protecting his city as Spider-Man full-time.
But as the demands on him grow, he is put under increasing pressure. This triggers an unexpected physical change that threatens his existence, while a strange wave of crime emerges - and gives rise to one of the most dangerous threats he has ever faced.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers. The film is produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad and Rachel O'Connor. The cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando and Mark Ruffalo.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.