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Spider-Man: Brand New Day

In this column, I’ve spoken of “superhero fatigue” many times over the years, particularly when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans used to count down the weeks until the next chapter was released, but nearly 30 films later, the excitement certainly tampered. Entries like THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA and CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD possessed none of the innate qualities that made the MCU a seemingly infallible juggernaut. With AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY set to be released in December, the MCU was desperate for a win.

Luckily, they had a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man at their disposal.

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY was a welcome return to form. In the capable hands of Tom Holland, the film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, abandoned the multiverse angle that had bogged down many of its Marvel contemporaries, and got back to the business of telling a singular story. There is a plethora of dynamic action sequences, an intriguing, well-executed antagonist, and humor abound.

If you don’t remember where we last left Spidey, fret not, I had no idea, either. What you need to remember is that due to a spell cast by Doctor Strange, no one remembers that Peter Parker (Holland) is Spider-Man. That includes the love of his life, MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Because of this, he has thrown himself completely into his crime fighting persona, coveting a note he wrote to MJ that professed the truth. Whether or not he will ever work up the courage to give her the letter remains to be seen.

As Spider-Man, he works frequently with NYPD detective Jean DeWolff (THE BEAR’s Liza Colón-Zayas) and has struck up a friendship with Frank “The Punisher” Castle (Jon Bernthal.) For those familiar with Bernthal’s take on the character in THE PUNISHER and DAREDEVIL, his emergence in a PG-13 rated adventure is a little jarring. Note to parents, if your kids loved him here and want to watch the shows, be prepared. They are decidedly NOT PG-13.

Personal demons aside, Peter is suffering from frequent headaches and other troublesome phenomena. The arachnid DNA flowing through his body is starting to assert itself, and he cannot control what is happening to him. He reaches out to Dr. Bruce Banner (who also doesn’t remember Peter) in hopes of mirroring the technology that Banner uses to keep The Hulk at bay. With this, he may be able to cut down on the headaches and stop shooting webs out of his skin.

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, (aka SPIDER-MAN 4), Tom Holland as Spider-Man (right), 2026. © Marvel Entertainment / © Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

BRAND NEW DAY has already made over $2 billion worldwide and continues to climb. Chances are, you’ve either heard the big reveal by now, or seen it with your own eyes. Having said that, I am not going to release it here. I will say that the main antagonist is executed in a clever and unnerving way, lending an air of mystery and unpredictability that stands in stark contrast to many of Marvel’s biggest baddies. They are the catalyst of change that will aid in the evolution of the MCU and its future, and helps to build excitement of what’s to come.