SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY: One of Spidey’s Best Adventures Yet

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its highs and lows, ever since Robert Downey Jr. first premiered as Iron Man way back in 2008 (and is now coming back in Doomsday, which I have mixed feelings about). Since Avengers: Endgame, though, it’s been more low than high, with some notable disappointments being Eternals, Ant-Man: Quantumania, and more. And yet even through this time, we had a successful Spider-Man film, joining together the still relatively fresh Tom Holland with both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Now, in his fourth adventure, Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker is a more seasoned Spider-Man; he no longer has RDJ‘s Iron Man to make him cool suits, or even the support of his friends Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya). The result is a Spider-Man film that goes back to the basics of the character: being the friendly neighborhood character we know and love. With a new threat on the horizon, yet also suffering from crippling loneliness, Peter has to overcome his demons to save NYC. The result is an adrenaline rush, with emotional resonance, some exciting joinings of new and old characters, and a triumphant start to this new chapter in this Spider-Man story.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

As seen at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker was forced to make a difficult choice: to have the entire world forget who he is in order to stop the multiverse from falling apart. Now, living alone, he fights villains to stay busy, including Tombstone, The Hand, Tarantula, Scorpion, and lots more classic characters from the comics. But a new threat emerges, a mysterious villain that only he is able to stop due to his Spidey senses. For spoiler’s sake, I cannot say who this person is, but it is up to Peter alone to stop them. At the same time, he also discovers that his mutant arachnid genes are starting to take over, causing him to lose control of his human side.

What is refreshing about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is that, despite a plethora of new and old faces, including multiple villains, it never feels overstuffed, which is an issue that some past films have had with the character (see: The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The film is a crossover of sorts, since we also get Mark Ruffalo‘s Hulk and Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher, who assist and/or fight with Peter depending on the circumstance. But at this point, we’ve earned these crossovers, since this expansive universe is based on comic books that often do the same thing. And at the end of the day, this is still very much Peter Parker’s movie. There may be a lot going on, but it also comes back to his journey in the end.

Tom Holland’s Growth

Tom Holland‘s first entry into the MCU was as a young teenager in Captain America: Civil War before getting his own movie the following year. His entry into this series wasn’t necessarily welcomed at first, since he would be the third actor to play the character in a little over a decade. Yet, as the years have progressed, Tom has grown with the role, both in his own acting chops and as the character has continued to be fleshed out in each subsequent film. He shows athleticism, a necessary component, but also emotional vulnerability. An example is when he witnesses MJ at a party with a new boyfriend, and in the next scene we see him swinging in the streets through the rain, without his costume, clearly distraught.

Having recently rewatched the Tom Holland films, you really can see the arc of his development. He’s no longer the naive, overly ambitious young kid trying to play superhero, as he was in Spider-Man: Homecoming. He’s been through his “with great power comes great responsibility” stage, and he has matured into a young man who, while not perfect, is always trying to do the right thing. The addition of the spider mutation was a welcome sight here as well, showing how Peter’s angst can manifest into something physical, a plot thread often seen in the comics and in the beloved ‘90s TV show.

Other highlights here include Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher, who while a tamed down version of the character due to the movie’s rating, is just as suited as always in the role (for a much less tame version, see: The Punisher: One Last Kill). Sadie Sink‘s character is a standout as well, giving the film one of its most awe-inspiring moments, and though she isn’t seen for very long, it’s clear that she will be back to play a much larger role in future movies.

Action and Spectacle

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Spider-Man movie without some high-energy web-slinging action, and Destin Daniel Cretton has not held back on that front. There’s plenty of shots of Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man swinging through the city, but the fights on the ground are really where the film shines. Highlights here include a rather intense fight against the Scorpion, a fight against a fully raged-out Hulk, and a climactic battle against The Hand, where Peter really gets a triumphant moment, all while a dozen guys in red suits defy gravity while swinging swords and other weapons at him.

What Cretton and the visual effects department really do well here is just how clever some of these action scenes can be, such as one where Spider-Man has to stop a cement truck while also preventing Punisher from doing more damage and trying to minimize his own path of destruction as the truck barrels through the city. There’s a moment here when he uses his web to both stop the truck while also moving passersby out of the way, which shows just how much thought and effort was put into these scenes. The way Spider-Man uses both his powers and intelligence together is one of the reasons that the character is still beloved despite so many renditions across decades of media.

What Next?

Though it could be because I’ve seen all of these movies, there are some moments in the film that are somewhat predictable, such as the final reveal. But though it may be somewhat obvious, it thankfully doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the movie.

Overall, Spider-Man: Brand New Day just works. It builds upon Tom Holland‘s strengths, who from this and future films may actually emerge as the quintessential actor to play the role. And it also expands the wider world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in an organic and fitting manner instead of feeling overstuffed and unsatisfying as it has in some other films.

I’m finally optimistic about the future of the series, and even if Marvel does their soft reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars, it is my sincere hope that we get to see Tom Holland step back into the role for years to come. Maybe even someday we can get a Sinister Six movie? Or finally get introduced to this universe’s version of Miles Morales?

With decades of comics, and hundreds of characters to choose from, the sky is the limit. And judging by the success of Spidey’s recent outing, it’s clear that the character is not going anywhere. Here’s to more fun adventures to come.

What are your thoughts on the latest Spider-Man movie? Are you looking forward to future adventures?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters worldwide.