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'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' shows us why Spidey is the best hero

Why the story of Peter Parker continues to go strong

Published Aug 3, 2026 09:35 am

At A Glance

  • It's a running joke for Marvel fans that seeing Peter at his worst gives us his best storylines, and this film certainly proves it.
WEB SLINGER 'Spider-Man Brand New Day' has some of the best web-slinging action ever seen on the big screen (Photos Marvel, Sony)
WEB SLINGER 'Spider-Man Brand New Day' has some of the best web-slinging action ever seen on the big screen (Photos Marvel, Sony)
Superhero fatigue in cinemas doesn’t seem to apply to Spider-Man.
In Spider-Man’s latest adventure, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” we are given Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, at his lowest point. With the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” having wiped everyone’s memory of him, he is left entirely on his own to deal with things. No Iron Man, no Aunt May, no fellow Peter Parkers, no Ned Leeds, and no MJ Watson. How does he hold up on his own?
Funny thing is, he doesn’t. Marvel, once again, uses a solo hero’s film to bring in other characters from their intellectual property holdings to tag along with Spidey. While this normally leaves some viewers rolling their eyes, it works surprisingly well for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Jon Bernthal as The Punisher
Jon Bernthal as The Punisher
Fellow Marvel characters like The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk) make appearances that seamlessly blend into Spider-Man’s world. They, as well as other easter egg characters, don’t feel shoehorned in at the last minute. Whenever we see Peter interacting with fellow Marvel characters, they bounce off well and make for humorous moments.
Another praiseworthy aspect is how the film’s web-swinging scenes are shot. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has one of the best web-slinging scenes we’ve ever seen to date. When Spidey swings around, the off-shoulder point-of-view shots leave you feeling like you’re swinging alongside him. We’ve definitely come a long way since the Sam Raimi trilogy.
Zendaya as MJ Watson
Zendaya as MJ Watson
Story-wise, it follows Peter struggling to make it on his own. His arachnid DNA starts acting up due to hormonal imbalances caused by the recent trauma of losing Aunt May and all his friends. Whenever we see Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) lurking around, we feel just how detached Peter is from what were once his closest allies.
Sadie Sink’s mystery role also leaves you locked in. It’s a running joke for Marvel fans that seeing Peter at his worst gives us his best storylines, and this film certainly proves it. His constant longing for the lost love of MJ and the friendship of Ned tugs at your heartstrings.
Antagonists of the film feel like legitimate threats to Peter and his loved ones, raising the stakes even higher. Every challenge thrown toward Spider-Man’s way also has you rooting even harder for him.
Michael Mando as Scorpion
Michael Mando as Scorpion
Sadly, having a packed cast also gives us one of the film’s weak points. Some characters aren’t given as much time to shine as we’d like. We’ve had a nearly decade-long buildup of Michael Mando as Scorpion, yet we don’t see him as much as we’d like to.
Fortunately, it’s not Paul Giamatti’s Rhino levels of unseen from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” There’s also a small montage that throws in Spider-Man villain cameos on the big screen, leaving you wanting to see more of the characters that were teased.
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is now showing in theaters nationwide.

Related Tags

Arts and Culture Marvel Sony Spider-Man Spider-Man Brand New Day Tom Holland Zendaya Jon Bernthal
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