‘Spider-Man’ finds a more mature, intriguing tone in ‘Brand New Day’
Published 6:05 pm Friday, July 31, 2026
This image released by Sony Pictures shows Tom Holland in a scene from “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
(Sony Pictures via AP)
It’s a more mature, more reflective time for our friendly neighbor web-slinger in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
The follow-up to the massive 2021 hit is also a vast improvement. It’s a bit overstuffed, feeling the weight of its massive 145 minute time, but when “New Day” focuses on the more intimate moments of Peter Parker/Spider-Man it’s as good as any film in the franchise.
“Brand New Day” picks up four years later with Parker (Tom Holland, way better here than in the Odyssey), without any family or friends — an unknown following the events of the previous film.
Parker keeps busy fighting crime as Spider-Man, but longs to reconnect with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and love of his life MJ (Zendeya). While trying to prevent an attack on the Department of Damage Control, Spider-Man comes in contact with a telepathic entity that could threaten Ned and MJ, forcing Parker to enlist the help of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Frank Castle, AKA the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) — and perhaps others.
The action builds from there with any further details best kept secret so fans can discover on their own. I will say there are a few callbacks, some fun cameos and the addition of Sadie Sink to the cast in a role that proves to be pivotal to everything.
Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, “Brand New Day” smartly casts aside the self-awareness and fan service that sank the previous film “No Way Home.” (And thank goodness this film doesn’t have a plot that could have been solved and concluded in 20 minutes, the last chapter’s fatal flaw).
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“New Day” does have the story spin its wheels sometimes — with the eventual villain not really up to par with Michael Keaton in the first chapter of this reboot “Homecoming.”
Director Destin Daniel Cretton, who has experience in the Marvel Comics Universe with the 2021 “Shang Chi” movie, stages the action sequences effectively — even if it gets to be a little too much by the final act.
Where the script really finds its strength is in the moments away from the action. These moments have a more intimate, reflective feel with characters dealing with isolation and consequences of their actions in ways that you don’t often see in comic book films. Cretton is the perfect choice to capture these more personal stretches having previously directed the wonderful 2013 film “Short Term 12” (which also dealt with personal relationships and trauma in an emotionally effective fashion).
It’s this new development in the franchise that allows it to find an effective second life, giving fans exactly what they want, while adding just a little more substance to make it stand out in a cinematic universe that has struggled to find consistency in recent years.
Grade: B
About Micheal Compton
I am a sports reporter and movie critic for the Bowling Green Daily News.
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