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Review: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ May be a Return to Form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but It Still Falls Short of Its Predecessor
July 30, 2026Ben MK
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Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Yet, while Tobey Maguire and his successor, Andrew Garfield, both enjoyed rave reviews for their portrayals of everyone's favorite web-slinger, it wasn't until a then-19-year-old Tom Holland landed the role of the heroic wall-crawler that the character's big screen potential was finally unlocked. Fast forward through three standalone films and appearances in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and it's safe to say that Peter Parker 3.0 and his super-powered alter ego have seen more action than both his predecessors combined. But with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, director Destin Daniel Cretton is putting Spidey through the wringer for another go-round, as Peter must face a dangerous new adversary while navigating life without his girlfriend and best friend. It's been four years since everyone in the world — including MJ Watson (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) — forgot Spider-Man's true identity, thanks to the spell cast by Doctor Strange. And although he managed to defeat the combined forces of some of his alter ego's most powerful enemies, Peter still has trouble coming to terms with the sacrifice he had to make to for the greater good. Living a lonely existence out of a one-room apartment in New York City, Peter has fully committed himself to being the city's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, forgoing all social interactions in favor of protecting the Big Apple's citizens from villains like Scorpion (Michael Mando), Tombstone (Marvin Jones III), and the ninja clan known as the Hand. But when a mysterious figure (Sadie Sink) emerges from the shadows and begins to threaten the relative calm he has fought so hard to maintain, Peter will find himself changing in ways he never imagined. Locked in a losing battle with the arachnid DNA that has recently begun to take over his body, Peter seeks the help of the one person who might understand his plight — Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). However, even with Bruce's help and sage advice, is it only a matter of time before the spider within transforms Peter into some kind of eight-legged monstrosity? Either way, Peter will have to suppress the beast that lurks within if he's to discover the real identity of this new antagonist and uncover the reason behind why she wants to break into the Department of Damage Control's highly secured, top-secret vault. Still, even with the assistance of veteran NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) and the cooperation of DODC head William Metzger (Tramell Tillman), he'll have his work cut out for him. Enlisting the help of his best frenemy, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), both Spidey and the Punisher will have to use everything in their respective arsenals to stop this new foe from achieving her goal. What neither of them could anticipate, though, is just how powerful their opponent actually is. And when she decides to escalate the situation and make things personal by unleashing the full, unbridled fury of the Hulk and putting MJ and Ned's lives on the line, Peter will have to break his own self-imposed rule of keeping his distance from his friends and intervene to keep them safe. Will he succeed at preventing his worst nightmares from coming true? And does he actually know what's at stake and who the real enemy is, let alone who he can genuinely trust? Throw in the obligatory tie-ins, Easter Eggs and references to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, not to mention a lengthy third act with more false endings than a Lord of the Rings film, and the resulting attempt to overstuff this Sony sequel with as much Marvel Studios fan service than can fit in a non-Disney blockbuster can oftentimes feel exhausting. Nevertheless, Cretton and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers do a relatively good job at keeping Brand New Day's narrative tightly focused on Peter's post-No Way Home emotional journey, even with the various action-packed pit stops they're forced to make along the way. Make no mistake, as far as the most recent phases of the MCU go, this latest entry in the long-running franchise is undoubtedly one of the better ones. Still, audiences hoping that Holland's fourth turn in the lead role lives up to the non-stop roller coaster ride that was its predecessor had better keep their expectations in check. Of course, that's not to say Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a disappointment. For, in many ways, it does manage the impossible, balancing an emotionally fraught storyline with eye-popping action, while also setting up its title character for future installments. Ultimately, however, where this sequel struggles is with delivering a consistently entertaining experience. In other words, it might be a brand new day for Peter Parker, but for moviegoers suffering from superhero fatigue, it's just another day at the multiplex. Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases July 31st, 2026 from Sony Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 25 min. |
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