Spider-Man: Brand New Day - Film Review

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day"Directed by Destin Daniel CrettonWritten by Chris McKenna & Erik SommersStarring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark RuffaloRated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some languageRuntime: 145 minutesRelease Date: July 31, 2026

Final Thought

Spider-Man: Brand New Day boasts the best performance from Tom Holland as the title character and the strongest sense of self (as a film) of any entry.

Rating

★★★★ / 5

Logline

From Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios:

It's a BRAND NEW DAY for Peter Parker. Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves - a powerful villain no one can even see. The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them.

Review: A Real Crowd-Pleaser

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Tom Holland has noted in several recent interviews that his experience working with Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey enlightened him to a level of work ethic that was virtually unrecognizable compared to that of a Marvel set. The practical and production size differences are obvious, but it’s the intention behind shot composition, strength of writing, and performance quality that truly sets Nolan apart from the superhero blockbusters.

He has also noted that after filming Nolan’s recent masterwork, he took that learned work ethic with him to the set of this film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, his fourth outing as the Sony-owned Marvel hero, and it shows. This new entry, directed by Shang-Chi filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, doesn’t feel the same as the previous three films, but it’s to the film’s benefit instead of its detriment.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place four years after the events of No Way Home, where the memory of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) was wiped from every living person’s memory entirely. Now living on his own in New York - still missing his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) - he continues his regular duties as the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.” A new, mysterious, seemingly invisible threat looms, however, and Peter, with help from Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), must work with the U.S. Department of Damage Control - led by Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) - to keep New York and his friends safe.

Holland has gotten stronger with each subsequent performance as the friendly demi-arachnid since his introduction a decade ago in Captain America: Civil War, but he’s always felt like the perfect fit. To compare the three live-action helmers, Tobey Maguire in the Raimi trilogy was best as Peter Parker and Andrew Garfield was best as Spider-Man in the Amazing duology, but Holland has proven the best at balancing both. The youthful energy he brings to Peter Parker feels missing from the other two actors’ performances, and his formal ballet and dance training specifically allows his physicality as Spider-Man to shine.

In line with that, Brand New Day is Holland’s best work in this role. More time is spent with Peter Parker’s character in this film than any since Homecoming in 2017, and more time is spent dissecting his psyche than any Spider-Man film since the Raimi era. The film adopts a more somber tone than the marketing has led on, one that makes Peter’s loneliness, depression, and grief all deeply felt. The loss of his friends, love, and Aunt May (played in the previous films by Marisa Tomei) weighs on him throughout this film like an anvil, and Holland plays the emotional beats very well. His experience as Spider-Man shifts throughout the film, as well, and Holland is game for it all. This entry might also have the best fight choreography from any Holland Spider-Man flick, with one sequence featuring a group of ninjas being a particular stand-out.

The rest of the cast performs well in the film, especially Zendaya and Batalon as MJ and Ned, respectively.

Left to right: Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

I love that the writers decided to age up their characters here as I felt their evident increase in maturity made the gravity of Peter’s circumstance even stronger. I would’ve appreciated seeing Batalon more as I’ve always been a fan of his and Holland’s chemistry, but what is lost with Ned is made up for with MJ. Liza Colón-Zayas and Tramell Tillman are welcome additions to the MCU, while Sadie Sink (completing an IP long-jump into a secret role here) proves she is one of the most talented actors of her class. Max had to turn the heat up on you hoes!!

Left to right: Zendaya and Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

As much as these films are about Spider-Man and his foils, these films are rom-coms - I said as much in my admittedly rudimentary and too-ebullient review of Far From Home from 2019 here. Holland and Zendaya, quite notably, shielded any official announcement of their nuptials from the public eye for a long time, but since the two have been doing press together for the last few weeks, it’s now clear that they have each married the loves of their lives, and it’s for that reason that the romance elements of the film shine. Their chemistry feels even stronger here, and their love for each other comes through, even though one can’t remember the other.

There’s practicality to this film that makes the other films feel lacking. Whether it be in-camera recreations of comic book covers or simply a full-body Lycra Spidey suit with see-through eyes, it adds to the film and makes it that much more believable.

It looks great, as well, which is surprising considering the last franchise entry felt like no one actor was in the same room as another (a limitation from COVID, I’m sure, but it doesn’t change the fact). The cinematography from Brett Pawlak stands out amongst many strong technical elements. The film exhibits much stonger direction from Cretton than Watts' three previous films, and as a result, unlike most recent Marvel faire, Brand New Day feels like a real movie.

It only suffers when it’s overly concerned with the rest of the MCU - typical for post-Endgame Marvel. Unfortunately, the weakest moments of the film are those that have to do with creating connective tissue between this project and others. Spidey and The Punisher repeatedly (and excessively) reference an off-camera event that is seemingly the only explanation for how they know each other. Mark Ruffalo proves to be a fun, yet ultimately unnecessary addition to this story, reprising his role as Bruce Banner a.k.a Hulk. Even Sink’s character reveal, though her performance is strong, is sloppy. Films are generally best when they are concerned about themselves and their own stories, not other films and greater universes. Thankfully, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses here.

I was pleasantly surprised by Spider-Man: Brand New Day, especially considering that I have recently rewatched most of the Holland/Spidey oeuvre in the last few weeks. It’s not without issues, but this is possibly the most moving Spider-Man film (without an aunt or uncle dying). The action is exciting, the music is fun (a clear product of Sony’s extensive music catalogue, but shoutout to Bad Bunny and Steve Lacy on the soundtrack), and the performances are strong. I understand why Sony has a death grip on this property. That boy is a real crowd-pleaser...

Viewed on 7/27/26 at Press Screening

Published on 7/28/26

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