Vague Visages’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day review contains minor spoilers. Destin Daniel Cretton’s 2026 movie features Tom Holland, Zendaya and Mark Ruffalo. Check out the VV home page for more film criticism, movie reviews and film essays.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day thwips back into the hearts of Marvel enthusiasts, fanning the flames of both consumers and investors alike. Director Destin Daniel Cretton succeeds in making Spider-Man’s comeback a matter of public spectacle. Rather than relying on expository monologues or opening text crawls, slow motion action lights up the silver screen as Tom Holland’s titular protagonist exchanges blows with Scorpion (Michael Mando) while Detective Sheila Rivera (Zabryna Guevara) cheers from the sidelines. The workaholic, crime-fighting feats of Spider-Man run parallel to the challenges of Peter Parker’s emotional detachment. His heroic highs cannot erase the lows of the guilt and heartache of events which carry over from Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), namely the tragic passing of his Aunt May and the self-sacrificing loss of the friendships of his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), and his best friend, Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon). Making matters worse, the anxiety of isolation leads to an unforeseen physical side effect, hormonal arachnid imbalance, with the potential for monstrous repercussions. Elsewhere, a surprising challenger (Sadie Sink) sets her telekinetic sights on the government clean-up of the Damage Control team. Her cunning, destructive rampage evolves from a puzzling search for the cryptic phrase “V Max.” Spider-Man strives to halt her fury with the aid of his Avenger allies, Professor Bruce Baner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), along with Damage Control Chief William “Bill” Metzger (Tramell Tillman) and Frank Castle/ The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). But time is of the essence, for the longer Peter spends tracking down this enigmatic medium, the chances of his loved ones once again being caught in the crosshairs become increasingly inevitable.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” This is the famous moral maxim to which all superheroes are held. It’s an easy catchphrase to remember, particularly if you’re a 13-year-old boy or a 20-something-year-old actor. For Holland, it’s clearly more than a catchy phrase to say while on the job. Ten years and a couple of out-of-this-world spin-offs later, Spider-Man proves to be his mantle to bear. Whether it’s swinging on stunt wires while tailing actual tanks or cracking jokes at the expense of cannon fodder goons, one can’t help but get wrapped up in this man’s big screen energy. That said, there’s more to a hero’s journey than precise comedic timing and swashbuckling theatrics. Pathos comes into play as well. And while Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, never quite reach the gold standard set by Alvin Sargent’s screenplay for Spider-Man 2 (2004), the web head steals the show. Holland proves to be equally invested in his performance as a late-20s Peter Parker as he does in bringing Spider-Man to life. Holland was riding shotgun alongside director Cretton in the post-production room and handling reshoots, and his appeal to the hearts, passion and imagination of Marvel fans shines through. A relevant social commentary may resonate with viewers of all ages as themes of finding time for personal identity, growth and love ultimately prevail.

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While the cinematic exchange of Holland as Telemachus and Bernthal as Menelaus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is rather flat and disappointing, the interaction of their characters is dynamic and energetic in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Bernthal is a key element of success, and Batalon does not disappoint as Ned. Elsewhere, Zendaya’s portrayal of MJ is somewhat lackluster, while Pugh’s performance is a little strange, more fitting for a sit-com than an action thriller. Overall, Sink is the surprise stand-out.

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Under the watchful eye of Cretton and cinematographer Brett Pawlak, Spider-Man: Brand New Day lives up to its source material. Viewers can enjoy a visual experience that’s on par with the same level of immersion that comic readers first felt when Spider-Man appeared in Stan Lee’s Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962). By shooting each scene in an expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio, Cretton achieves vertical shots with an off-kilter angle reminiscent of Steve Ditko’s original drawings. Yet at the same time, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day artistic team draws attention away from the action and back to the little guy no different than when John Romita Sr. added a softer touch to the strip back in ’66.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s big payoff comes during the climax when Spidey and his psychic adversary finally confront their troubled past. For a hero like Batman, it’s all the prep work that yields his victories. For Spider-Man, empathy is paramount, and nowhere is that truer for him than when interacting with the kindred Jean. Holland and Sink thrive off each others’ charisma, all the while evoking a bitter rivalry that all siblings know so well. Sink, for her part, takes the raw depth and intensity that she shows on Stranger Things (2016-25) and takes it to Firebird heights, “burning” anyone who gets in her path. As for Holland, the webslinger reminds audiences that Peter Parker’s greatest attribute with women isn’t his boyish charm, but rather his “everyman” vulnerability.

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As of writing this review, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, by no small feat, has achieved the second-biggest opening weekend in cinematic history — quite the comeback story for a film franchise that many wrote off as unfilmable in the 1990s. This success results not by means of mass spectacle but rather gripping drama. By letting his guard down, Spider-Man achieves more than with battle armor. Spider-Man: Brand New Day does not achieve the cinematic stature of Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy (2002-07), but it sure does earn Aunt May’s wheat cakes. This contemporary Shakespearian franchise needn’t worry about the rain washing it away anytime soon.

Peter Bell (@PeterGBell25) is a 2016 Master of Arts – Film Studies graduate of Columbia University School of Arts in New York City. His interests include film history, film theory and film criticism. Ever since watching TCM as a child, Peter has had a passion for film, always trying to add greater context to film for others. His favorite films include Chinatown, Blade Runner, Lawrence of Arabia, A Shot in the Dark and Inception. Peter believes movie theaters are still the optimal forum for film viewing, discussion and discovering fresh perspectives on culture.

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