SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
NICK
Brand New Day is the emotional payoff to No Way Home we all deserved, and pairing Tom Holland’s Peter Parker with Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle gave me the duo I didn’t know I needed. Not just for their entertainment value, but for the characters’ mirrored tragic lives. Tragedy is the prevailing theme in this one, which enriches the story and allows it to remain grounded. Yet, somehow, director Destin Daniel Cretton is able to balance the heaviness with well-timed humour, exhilarating action, and visual panache unlike anything we’ve seen from Spidey before. It’s a welcome return for this character and another great addition to Marvel’s strongest sub-franchise.
ADRIANO
As a vocal MCU hater, Brand New Day is refreshing. The visual aesthetic is nice, and keeping everything at street level means the stakes remain mostly personal with the focus being more on the characters than the action — I like that. Where it doesn’t fully land is in how it juggles its plotlines, often throwing Peter Parker (Tom Holland) into emotional and physical struggles that aren’t packaged neatly. As a result, I didn’t feel their full impact. Still, considering where this franchise has gone, this film going beyond the bare minimum is enough for now.
QUENTIN
For all the talk of Marvel’s decline, the MCU has been quietly resurging since Thunderbolts* (television included), with Brand New Day being its best offering since Endgame. Not only is the story thematically cohesive and emotionally resonant, but the thrilling set pieces truly capture the essence of reading the comics. In fact, some shots are beautiful recreations ripped straight from the page. Additionally, there are callbacks and homages, both subtle and overt, as well as cameos and twists that are (mostly) organic instead of functioning as cheap fan service — all of which makes New Day feel like the old days of the MCU’s prime.
AMARÚ
Even with a glaringly predictable plot point that’s telegraphed a mile away, Brand New Day reminds us that the MCU’s Spider-Man movies always hold one truth: they’re a good-ass time. The fun effortlessly continues with this entry, but there’s also an emotional depth that naturally evolves from the first trilogy. This film’s heart is the tremendous payoff of Peter’s (Tom Holland) decision to be forgotten, and every scene exploring his isolation from MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) is deeply rich. Add in hilarious chemistry with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, along with plenty of well-written seeds planted for future storylines, and Spidey continues to swing big.
Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick , Amarú, and Harrison join Matt to take A Bigger Bite out of Spider-Man: Brand New Day HERE.