Brand New Day is a powerful return for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man

It is a Brand-New Day for Spider-Man and the MCU as the new web-slinging blockbuster hits a box office record of $932m, making it the second biggest opening weekend in history. But did director Destin Daniel Cretton and famed Hollywood hero Tom Holland surpass our expectations following the devastating climax of No Way Home that left us all (quite literally) hanging in suspense?

Following the emotional ending of No Way Home, Marvel Studios head, Kevin Feige, faced the difficult task of continuing Peter Parker’s story without undoing the sacrifices that made the previous film so memorable. For five years, Spider-Man fans around the world have been holding their breath in anticipation after Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) erased all memory of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) from existence in order to save the universe.

Brand New Day answers the questions we have been eager to have answered for the longest time – will MJ (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) remember Peter Parker, or is the young hero destined for a life of solitude, fighting crime that leaves him facing extreme genetic changes, his isolation causing his arachnid powers to evolve…?

The realistic consequences of Peter Parker’s actions at the end of No Way Home are perfectly orchestrated in Brand New Day

With a vulnerability and emotional realism that makes Holland’s fourth solo performance as Spider-Man a notable stand-out, Brand New Day answers all of this and more. The realistic consequences of Peter Parker’s actions at the end of No Way Home, are perfectly orchestrated in Brand New Day as he tries desperately to be remembered, offering a fresh and convincing outcome that is perhaps more impactful than the happy ending we had all been hoping for.

Brand New Day benefits from telling a more intimate story as Parker fights an antagonist he cannot see, whilst battling inner demons which cause his Spidey senses to overload. Peter must stop a mysterious individual, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, by reluctantly relying on the assistance of his frenemy, the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). The casting of this dynamic duo was the light-hearted and humorous relationship that we all needed, as the pair squabble over the Punisher’s ruthless ‘get it done’ approach and Peter’s desire to serve others with mercy. The duo seem to complement each other almost as perfectly as Deadpool and Wolverine.

An extensive ensemble of supervillains, including Scorpion and The Hand, rewards long-term fans, bringing the comic books we have grown to know and love to life on screen

The interconnected storytelling of Brand-New Day resulted in many excited gasps from the audience, as many of our favourite MCU characters make a reappearance on the big screen. An extensive ensemble of supervillains, including Scorpion and The Hand, rewards long-term fans, bringing the comic books we have grown to know and love to life on screen. And the return of the Hulk and his Bruce Banner counterpart is truly incredible, with an outstanding performance by Mark Ruffalo, as he returns to the role with even more ferocity than before, making his transformation even more frightening. But whilst this interconnectedness is one of the film’s greatest emotional strengths for long-term fans, reliance on prior knowledge from the MCU may leave newcomers, who are less familiar with the world outside of Spider-Man, feeling like they missed part of the story.

Nevertheless, the reappearance of these famed superstars does not outshine Tom Holland’s emotionally powerful portrayal of Peter Parker, as this remains the central focus of the story. One of the most satisfying aspects of this story was the stylistic choices made when filming, with the cinematography making us feel like we ourselves are Spider-Man. We are seeing through his eyes and are made to feel physically present in his battles. When fighting the majestic ninja assassins, The Hand, dynamic camera angles keep us immersed in the battle, and we feel like we, ourselves, are swinging from the ceiling and being spun around as the action takes place.

Overall, Brand New Day offers a refreshing new take on Spider-Man, which greatly resembles the hero from the comic strip, in a constant struggle to balance the life of Peter Parker and Spider-Man as he desperately tries to be both. The movie succeeds in bringing the spectacle and performance of previous Spider-Man movies that we have come to know and love, but the excitement of the movie’s action does not take away from the more powerful depiction of the emotional burden that Holland conveys. In Brand New Day, we see a lonesome Peter Parker persisting under his ‘great responsibility’ to sacrifice all he has for the greater good. It is overall an impactful performance from all angles, and is worth a watch, especially as speculation suggests that Spider-Man’s story isn’t over yet, and he may be making a return to the MCU…

★★★★