RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The time has arrived for Spider-Man: Brand New Day , the next chapter for the MCU 's Peter Parker (Tom Holland), directed by Destin Daniel Cretton ( Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ).
Perhaps more than other iconic superheroes, Spider-Man's potential seems absolutely limitless. Parker's story has been explored through three separate franchises: Sam Raimi's 2000s Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, the pair of Amazing Spider-Man movies from the 2010s starring Andrew Garfield, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version, with Holland at the center.
Beyond that, Sony launched the Miles Morales Spider-Verse movies , bringing a fresh perspective and dozens (maybe hundreds) of multiverse Spider-folk into the fold, including Spider-Gwen, Spider-Noir, and Spider-Ham. There's also a handful of Spider-Man spinoffs ( Morbius , Venom , Madame Web , and Kraven The Hunter ) , which mostly proved Spidey's rogues' gallery just doesn't work without him.
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When the focus is on our friendly neighborhood Spider-Person, we rally for his homespun heroism, goofy witticisms, and undeniable charm. But don't we also hope for something we haven't seen before onscreen?
With Raimi's trilogy, the bones of the modern superhero movie were being built through spectacular action sequences, balanced with critically acclaimed actors sinking their teeth into villainous roles. With Garfield's swing, Peter's love interest, Mary Jane, was swapped for Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who was brilliant and doomed. To director Jon Watts' trilogy, which began with Spider-Man: Homecoming , Peter was re-imagined as a hero in the vein of a classic American coming-of-age comedy, bringing into the fold his nervy and nerdy bestie Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his smirking, anti-social yet charismatic crush MJ (Zendaya).
While all of these movies have their merits, Watts' were thrilling not only because of their Marvel connections (including Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man cameos), but chiefly because they had a different energy from the rest of the MCU. Where other heroes were shown in their awkward learning how to use their powers stage, Holland's Spidey swung into action without an origin story and into an Avengers movie . From there, the MCU skipped the Uncle Ben beat (well, for two movies anyway), and embraced the youth and joie de vivre of its stars. While Peter faced life-or-death scenarios again and again, these films were rebelliously joyous, until the third act of 2021's No Way Home .
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'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is too much, and I'm not mad at it
There, this Peter Parker lost his version of Uncle Ben, the cool (and hot) Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), who died in her pursuit to save classic Spidey villains from their pre-established fates. Then, as Peter looks to set the multiverses right, he must surrender being known. By movie's end, no one in his universe remembers him, including Ned, MJ, and all his Avengers colleagues.
So where does that leave Brand New Day ? Well, I'm sad to say in some frustratingly familiar territory.
This review will proceed with no major spoilers. If you've seen the trailers , you're fine.
What's Spider-Man: Brand New Day about?
Spider-Man swings to the rescue.
Credit: Sony Pictures
Set roughly four years after the events of No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins with Peter Parker living a resolutely isolated life. Sure, he's out thwipping around New York City, fighting crime by webbing up bad guys and snatching would-be bystanders out of the path of carnage. However, because of his grief and guilt over the death of May, Peter won't allow himself to get close to anyone.
Through social media, he watches Ned's posts from four years of MIT, but he never comments. When a girl in his apartment building attempts to flirt, he essentially moves to the attic in self-exile. Where the end of the last film had him living in squalor, he somehow has enough cash to fill his apartment with expensive tech, including multiple computer displays and a 3D printer, while Spider-Manning full-time. The closest thing he has to a friend is NYPD inspector Jean DeWolff ( The Bear 's Liza Colón-Zayas), who urges him to address his lack of a work/life balance.
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Totally, totally. But Peter has bigger issues to deal with. First and foremost, his body is changing — well, mutating. The organic webs that he once marveled over coming out of Peter 2's wrists are now coming out his own. He's also suffering migraines, blackouts, and states of rage that turn his eyes black. (Think Aang going into the Avatar state, but the emo version.)
But that's not all! Peter also must face off against a new threat to New York City. A mysterious person (Sadie Sink) is attacking Damage Control buildings in search of — what? Peter's not sure. But what he has figured out is that whoever this curious foe is, she's able to "possess" strangers as if they are puppets. (Think the Denzel Washington thriller Fallen .) Who can he trust when anyone can turn against him at the whim of this villain? Bruce "The Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Frank "The Punisher" Castle (Jon Bernthal), because sure, why not?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is rehashing superhero standards.
Weary is the head that wears the Spidey mask.
Credit: Sony Pictures
With the mutation plot point, Peter is once more faced with having to figure out how to superhero. This was something we saw in Homecoming as he unlocked the training wheels protocols, and all of a sudden had access to a bunch of Stark-designed deadly artillery. Later in that movie, and in Far From Home , and in No Way Home , something happens that strips away his tools, forcing him to trust in himself and his friends to save the day.
This Spider-Man's arc has been all about rebuilding with a little help from his friends. In ...
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