Spider-Man: Brand New Day - A Review

Spoilers for Spider-Man: BRand New Day Ahead!

As a lifelong Spider-Man fan, it’s always a pleasure when the masked vigilante graces the big screen. I’ve seen every single Spider-Man film whether that was Tobey Maguire’s, Andrew Garfield’s, Tom Holland’s, or the animated Spider-verse films. Each and every time I come out with a smile on my face – yes, even after Spider-Man 3.

I’m pleased to say that with the newest addition to the MCU, that streak has continued.

This is a Spider-Man we haven’t seen in the MCU before. For one, he’s all grown up. Peter Parker isn’t a high schooler anymore and Brand New Day does a fantastic job of reminding the viewer of that. He and his friends deal with the same problems those in their early twenties face: horrible job interviews, caffeine addictions, and the struggle of finding an insurance plan. Not only did this add to the relatability of the cast, but upped the realism factor as well. 

In the world of superheroes it can be pretty easy to get swept up in the fantastical. After all, when you have gods and mutants running around it’s hard to remember this is all supposed to be taking place in the grounded world of New York City. Spider-Man has always been a character that walks that fine line – on one hand he’s the friendly neighborhood hero that helps old ladies cross the street, but on the other, he’s a guy that’s gone to space and fought with the Avengers.

Brand New Day refocuses the hero into the former category. This is the Spider-Man I’ve yearned to see in the MCU. There were touches of that in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but since Peter was still a kid back then, he didn’t have enough life experience to truly carry a film on his own. He needed a bit of help to get through things.

Now, Peter is a down-on-his-luck-adult, but he still has the charm of his high school self. It’s refreshing to say the least. This is Spider-Man in his truest form before he got caught up with the likes of Tony Stark and Dr. Strange.

Speaking of things that made Spider-Man so Spider-Man here: can we talk about how they made Peter funny again? In previous iterations, and especially the comics, Spider-Man is a witty guy that can even go up against the Merc With A Mouth (Deadpool). Listening to Peter crack jokes to police officers, villains, and even Frank Castle brought a smile to my face every single time, even if the jokes weren’t all that funny to begin with. 

The reason so many of those jokes do land though is the sheer chemistry between the cast. This is a group of people that you can tell have spent the better part of a decade together and who actually enjoy working with one another. That’s not something every cast can say – I’m looking at you Odyssey (2026). The scenes between Peter and MJ feel so ripe with love and adoration because it’s clear Tom Holland and Zendaya share that love and respect. Sure, it’s likely because they’re married, but I can say the exact same for the scenes between Peter and Ned or Peter and Frank. There’s an easy flow to the interactions that makes the whole film feel like a warm blanket. Even through all the tears.

Other realistic aspects that make this film feel far more grounded then the other MCU Spider-Man was the use of practical effects. That suit was amazing! I know there’s been a bit of controversy surrounding it, how people think the face shape is all wrong, how it should have been touched up more in post, but guys, a practical suit? You really want to give that up? 

In a film where Peter is wearing the suit for a majority of the film, having real fabric not only saves the CGI team tons of time but makes Spider-Man feel real. With all the wrinkles, the creases, the way I can tell that Tom Holland had to work extremely hard for his build in this film, I’m not just looking at some hero, I’m looking at the man underneath the suit. Other MCU iterations of the Spider-Man suit have been overly sleek, looking more like the PS4 counterpart than a movie, but Brand New Day blew that out of the water.

I never thought I’d be so happy to see the shine on spandex.

The last point of realism that Brand New Day goes with is the reality of loneliness. The mental health of heroes is something Marvel has touched on far more in their recent projects than ever before – especially with films like Thunderbolts* highlighting trauma and its effects. 

Whereas for me Thunderbolts* did a rough job at mixing the mental health focus and action scenes together in a smooth manner, Brand New Day ironed out the kinks. The tie between Peter’s new abilities and him processing his trauma from No Way Home links the two plotlines wonderfully. They blend together in a way that’s not only wonderful from a storytelling perspective but coherent.

I’ll admit, there were times when it felt like the movie was hammering the moral into my head, but with the current media literacy crisis I can’t blame it too much for doing so.

Overall, a Spider-Man film has blown me away in the best way possible. Brand New Day is easily one of my new favorite Marvel films, though No Way Home may still have the edge if only because of the nostalgia factor.

I’m excited to see what Avengers: Doomsday will bring to the table. If it’s anything like Brand New Day, I’m sure it’ll be fantastic.