Here’s my Spider-Man Brand New Day review, which stars Tom Holland as Spider-Man/ Peter Parker, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Joseph Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, Sadie Sink and more! The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton from Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures!
Spider-Man returns for a fourth installment picking up the pieces of his life in shambles after the events of Spider-Man No Way Home. Peter Parker has been forgotten by everybody including his friends and especially MJ (Zendaya). But the universe has a weird sense of humor putting Peter’s trajectory with MJ and Ned’s four years after they got into M.I.T. Peter has sinced focused more on being Spider-Man and saving people in New York. So when a mysterious unknown force attacks the DODC and drags Spidey along for the ride, we go through maturity and growth together with Holland’s Peter Parker!
There’s something different about Peter Parker and everything about Spidey. Gone is the noise and punk rock vibes, and in comes more mature music and a more stable visual. Under Cretton’s direction, we get to see some maturity and growth and I like that subtle change. Peter’s no longer a highschool student so his musical taste and the film’s musical choices have changed. Even the closing and opening moments of the film shows that growth.
Cast
Tom Holland continues to do a fine job as Peter Parker. He has improved tremendously since he started the role in Civil War, and through Destin Cretton’s guidance, we see and feel his maturity as well as his playful side and even his darker side. And you can’t help but empathize with Parker through Holland’s performance, his loneliness, his control and his frustrations. And when he does get those rare happy moments and good realizations, you really feel happy thanks to Holland’s acting.
Zendaya‘s MJ and Jacob Batalon‘s Ned Leeds also have some good moments, particularly Zendaya who has locked down her chemistry with her husband Tom Holland here. It felt natural, especially those fun little moments they have and when there’s conflict, it also flows naturally. Meanwhile, Batalon’s Ned may not have as much screen time as past Spidey movies, but when he does appear, it hits the spot, particularly the one at the end.
While Sadie Sink‘s role may not be the best kept secret in Hollywood in 2026, I will tiptoe around it and say that she could use a little more push in the drama aspect. But as somebody who can be a menace, she does that just fine.
I was iffy about Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher being in this film, but I have to admit it kinda grew on me. I love Bernthal’s Punisher as the dark and gritty anti-hero, and he doesn’t seem to fit the Spider-Man story but it surprisingly worked. We have this big brother -little brother dynamic in play here, and they managed to put in both heart and humor in this pairing. It actually gave the audience a chance to see Frank’s softer side here. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and the Hulk have their own important roles here. As Banner, he helps Peter unlock that one thing that keeps everything in check. As the Hulk later in the film, he provides that necessary “mid boss” battle that shows us how good Peter Parker is as well as how dangerous he can truly be. On a sidenote it also gives us an idea of what happens when street level heroes and vigilantes find themselves in a superpowered fight and all they have are a bunch of guns.
Plot and Pacing
So while marketing for the villain gave us like four villains, the writing made it feel like a comic book. If you picked up a collected edition of a story arc for Amazing Spider-Man like the titular “Brand New Day,” you’ll understand how that book has set up the vibe, plot, and pacing for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I’m also quite happy that we are getting a small-scale Spidey movie unlike Far From Home and No Way Home. I also love the fact that the Hulk was really a mid-boss sort of experience for Peter Parker and the real villain was just there.
There were a few things I could have switched up or toned down, but as it stands, the final product is pretty good. There’s also a cameo that is divisive with some people not a fan while others happy as it does serve to connect Spider-Man with whatever’s happening in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m with the latter on this.
There’s so much emotion in this movie that makes you think that this is the closest we get to a really good adaptation of Spider-Man. Cretton and the cast managed to put the “man” in the Spider-Man not by physically hurting Peter but rather putting him through stressful situations after another, and his poor heart can’t take it sometimes. It shows us how “strong” he is all throughout. If you think about it this way, the entire movie is about that one time Peter Parker’s strength wavered and it triggered so much but then he gets a good ending by getting back up” and you’ll thoroughly enjoy “Brand New Day”.
VERDICT
I did like how they balanced everything here in this fourth installment of the Spider-Man saga. You can see that there were some flaws but as a comic fan and a Spider-Man fan, you’ll move past that and have a great time. It’s got a ton of fun and interesting heroes, bad guys and supporting cast, a compelling story and beautiful visuals. We saw this on ScreenX and I was impressed with the scenes that utilized the ScreenX camera. The action scenes were amazing and the constant world building was also spectacular. At the center of this is a well-written and well-acted Spider-Man. Definitely worth watching.
Spider-Man Brand New Day feels and looks like a real Spider-Man book now. Its no longer relying on the MCU crutches to get a decent story nor does it stick to the “World Crisis” from previous films. Instead its loaded with everything
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