‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Finally Gives The Wall Crawler His MCU Due

It’s perhaps a little embarrassing that it took Marvel nearly 10 years and six appearances to get their most iconic character right, but I’m glad to report that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is by far the best live action Spider-Man film since 2004’s Spider-Man 2.

Admittedly, that’s a pretty low bar to clear – but nonetheless one I’m surprised that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has had great difficulty swinging over until this point. Funnily enough, the recipe for success in Brand New Day turned out to be quite simple: get a new director, give him and the lead actor more creative freedom and actually make Spider-Man and his struggles the focus of a Spider-Man film. Crazy, right?

After the multiversal shenanigans of No Way Home that resulted in everyone forgetting the man behind the mask, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is lonely. Yet the life of the webslinger is never boring. Peter realises his body is evolving in strange ways as life forces him back into contact with old beau MJ (Zendaya) and bestie Ned (Jacob Batalon) while a mysterious villain with the ability to mind control anybody through bodyhopping begins attacking government agency Damage Control.

A Spider-Man movie that focuses on Spider-Man… crazy!

If it sounds like there’s a lot going on in Brand New Day from that brief overview, it’s probably because there is. Yet one of this film’s greatest strengths compared to prior MCU Spider-Man flicks, and most Marvel movies in general, is its judicious deployment of characters from the extended franchise to make it feel like a universe, not an excuse to have cameos.

The approach here largely works because each character reflects Peter in their own ways, allowing him to still have a satisfying character arc while bouncing off other characters. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher has a delightful dynamic with Peter in a supporting role, but also serves as a reminder of the dangers that come with self-isolation. The appearance of Hulk also mirrors Peter’s difficulties with a body he doesn’t understand, and what happens when super-powered people lose control.

Peter’s struggle with letting people back into his life after the trauma of his last main adventure make up the crux of Brand New Day’s narrative, and is also perfect for the film’s antagonist played by Sadie Sink. I shan’t spoil who she is here, but I will say that her character is deployed carefully to parallel Peter’s arc in Brand New Day in a way that shows genuine respect for the character while putting a new spin on it.

Her access to the lives of MJ and Ned forces the man behind the mask to confront the question – who is he? Peter Parker or Spider-Man? Holland, fresh off the Odyssey boat, manages to turn in his best performance as the character while he struggles with the answer while finally delivering a Spidey MCU flick that feels like it actually understands the weight of responsibility for Peter Parker.

The best Spidey has been at the movies since 2004

No small part of that success also lies with director Destin Daniel Cretton, who makes the most tactile and real-feeling Spider-Man film since Raimi got his hands on it. Yes, the suit looks amazing, but so does the action – it has a sense of weight and purpose that the Home trilogy simply never had, thanks to their decision to shoot much of it in lens and work with talented stunt co-ordinators.

Some may bemoan the overall lack of “point” to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but this kind of emotionally driven narrative that takes inspiration from the comics without feeling overstuffed is what Spidey has needed on the big screen for a long time, making Brand New Day a delightful superhero caper with a surprising amount of restraint and maturity that never sacrifices the fun factor.

If you’re a diehard fan of the Wall Crawler, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen it – but for the first time in a long-time, a new Marvel movie is a sincerely easy recommendation for casual fans, too.

★★★★

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in cinemas now.