SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Review

Tom Holland comes swinging back into movie theatres with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the 4th instalment of his Spider-Man franchise from Sony Pictures and Disney’s Marvel. After almost 5 years without Peter Parker gracing our screens, the fans were ready to sit back and watch their favourite friendly crime-fighting superhero. 

As someone who has grown up with all the iterations of Spider-Man: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Shameik Moore, I've always had an attachment to Holland’s take on the classic comic book character. Maybe it was because I grew up with these actors as the films were released, or because I watched each Holland Spider-Man film at my small town’s local movie theatre. But now I am 3 years post-university graduation, so I feel even more connected to Peter and his friends as they go through the same transitional stage in the film.

What stands out for me in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is how cohesive it is. The most recent Sony Pictures Spider-Man and Disney’s Marvel’s properties lack depth in the characters' development. I find the companies often go for quantity over quality, and the narratives are usually extremely lacking in the writing. However, in Brand New Day, there is a collectiveness from the overarching universe that really brings the film together.

Being a perfect companion piece to Thunderbolts*, Brand New Day tackles the themes of isolation and mental health. The last time we saw Holland’s Spider-Man, his identity had been revealed to the whole world, causing chaos and disarray inside Peter’s universe. In an attempt to make things right again, Peter has Doctor Strange perform a spell so the whole world forgets who Peter Parker is, including his close loved ones. At the end of No Way Home, Peter had promised MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) that he would find them and help them remember him. 

Well, Peter kept his promise of finding his friends, but he did not keep up his end of the deal of reminding them who he is. The fear of putting the people he loves into danger is too much for Peter. After losing Aunt May in No Way Home, Peter has decided he would rather be alone than risk letting his loved ones get hurt. 

We see Peter stalking MJ and Ned on social media as they complete their 4 years at MIT. During this time, Peter works on lowering crime rates in New York City as the Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man. Receiving the key to the city and taking down criminals like Scorpion and Tombstone, Spider-Man seems to be on top of the world. However, he has no balance in his life. 

Being forgotten has left Peter without anyone on his side. He is alone and suffering as a result. The closest he is to someone these days is with Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) of the NYPD. While fighting crime, he keeps in contact with the Detective, almost like a Jim Gordon for the MCU. But even DeWolff knows Spidey is off his game.

Realising his life will never be what it once was, as his friends have moved on without him and he has no family left, Peter decides to put all his energy into crime fighting. As a result of this traumatic transition, Peter’s arachnid hormones begin to become unbalanced. Suffering from splitting headaches and pains at his wrists, Peter is thrown off his game. Peter does not know how to connect to life anymore, so his body does not know how to connect to his powers. 

Luckily, Peter is not truly alone. With the help of other MCU characters, Peter is able to navigate his evolving DNA. I thought the cameos in Brand New Day were incorporated extremely well. 

The surprise of Yelena Belova’s Black Widow (Florence Pugh) was kept a total secret for me, so I had a pleasant reaction when she showed up on screen. Keeping her humour, Peter meets Belova in a Russian bathhouse, bringing the MCU’s maturing rating up. After dealing with her own darkness in Thunderbolts*, Belova is the perfect mentor for Peter. 

The cameo of Frank Castle’s Punisher (Jon Bernthal) was one of the best iterations of the character I’ve seen in some time. From Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and One Last Kill, Castle has never gotten the development I believe this Netflix-to-MCU character deserves. With over a decade of screen history for this character, it was beautiful to see Castle’s emotion in Brand New Day. A level of vulnerability I was afraid we might never reach for the character. Acting as another role model for Peter, the audience can see the respect Castle holds for the fellow crime fighter. 

The inclusion of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) was also handled well. The overall theme of isolation fits perfectly with Belova, Castle, and, of course, Banner. Suffering from the gamma radiation in his DNA, Banner has invented an inhibitor to control the Hulk. With impressive results, Banner can teach as a professor at ESU and think fondly of his days in the Avengers. 

However, later in the film we see Banner and the Hulk without their inhibitor. Showing the damage the creature can do. Poor Peter is left defenceless to an out-of-control Hulk. 

All these cameos bring us back to the idea of how your powers can turn you into a monster. We see Peter is afraid that with his arachnid DNA evolving, he won’t be able to protect those who need Spider-Man. He wishes to subdue the unfamiliar powers, like Banner, with an inhibitor. This is mirrored in all the cameos throughout the film but also in the introduction of a new character, Jean Grey (Sadie Sink). 

Disney’s Marvel is finally diving into their version of the X-Men after they acquired 21st Century Fox. Bringing Jean Grey into this new universe is tricky and would be my first criticism of the film. Despite enjoying Sink’s performance of the iconic mutant, I did feel disjointed with her origin. Similar to the introduction of Holland’s Spider-Man in 2015, the MCU has decided to give the character their own unique beginning, rather than following the comic book story. 

I think the MCU wanted to simplify Grey’s story and put it more in line with Peter’s. Both have suffered great loss of a loved one, have undergone big changes in their body, and feel like outsiders. Both have been told they are dangerous and, if not kept in line, can be taken in by government organisations to be experimented on. I am a little disappointed the character is not as close to her comic book origin, but I feel I’ll be able to grow past this change. 

I worry about the future of the X-Men as a whole as they are slowly introduced into the MCU. That is my biggest criticism. Just the fear that the mutants will not be delivered as they deserve. I am very anxious, for Avengers: Doomsday is all I can say. 

Grey also falls into the MCU’s consistent villain problem. Marvel continues to struggle with making strong, lasting villains. Since Thanos and the cultural failure of Kang the Conqueror, there has not been an effective MCU villain introduced. 

The Department of Damage Control, led by Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), is pushed as a major villain of the film. First posed as a government agency to the likes of S.H.I.E.L.D., the big reveal of the film is that the DDC has been experimenting on mutants like Grey’s sister. They wish to control those with powers and research them for their own gain. 

Tillman, similar to Sink, delivers an enjoyable performance but unfortunately is given very little to do. Falling into this intimidating but not scary MCU villain role. Metzger is left alive at the end of the film, so his future is unknown, but similar to Emma Corrin’s Cassandra Nova or Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn, their presence does not do anything for the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe. I hope we see Metzger again, as it would be a shame to lose such a talented actor like Tillman. 

As I watched the film, I also took note of the lack of Daredevil: Born Again crossover. Despite the Disney+ show getting a third season and the involvement of characters like the Punisher and Zabryna Guevara’s Sheila Rivera, there is little connection to the storylines of the show and Brand New Day. There is no inclusion of Kingpin or his Task Force running the streets of New York City while Spider-Man keeps the crime levels low. I mentioned cohesion was one of Brand New Day’s strengths, but this is where it unfortunately dips. 

Despite having a few problems with the film, I do think Destin Daniel Cretton is one of the few MCU directors that Kevin Feige just let do his thing. Coming from an indie film background on Short Term 12 and Just Mercy, and having experience already in the MCU on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Cretton has a unique vision. The balance of action, storytelling and involvement of other Sony and MCU properties is impressive. Despite a few criticisms of my own, I do think Cretton has been able to provide the most solid Phase 5 and 6 film. 

My favourite moments of the film are when our core three are back together. Grey threatens the lives of MJ and Ned, so Peter naturally has to save them as Spider-Man. Despite his friends not remembering Peter, there are traces of his presence like MJ’s black dahlia necklace and Ned’s Death Star Lego set. 

MJ and Ned know something is missing in their lives but can’t pinpoint what it is. Writer Justin Kuritzkes has confirmed he came onto the project for rewrites of the script, and working alongside Zendaya before on Challengers, I do believe Kuritzkes is the reason the character development for the core three is so strong. His attention to relationships and emotional release helps to elevate Brand New Day from just a regular Sony/MCU film to something more.

With fun action scenes and emotional levity, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a film that not only hardcore MCU fans are going to appreciate but also your everyday movie lover. Bringing the classic superhero out of his awkward high school years and propels him forward into young adulthood. A new era for Holland’s Spider-Man is beginning, and with two solo films still left in his contract, I’m sure this is not the last time we will see him on the big screen.

🍿 SCORE = 84 / 100