Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review: A Rare Marvel Delight these Days
· BCPosted in: Movies, Review, Sony | Tagged: brand new day, Butler Library Columbia University, columbia pictures, Jacob Batalon, jon bernthal, Marvel Studios, Sadie Sink, sony, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, zendaya
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review: A Rare Marvel Delight these Days
Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like a comic book crossover come to life, in all the best ways. Quite the delight.
Published Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:18:14 -0500
by Jeremy Konrad
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Article Summary
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a rare Marvel win, delivering a lively comic-book adventure with real crowd-pleasing energy.
- Tom Holland gives his best Spider-Man performance yet as Peter faces isolation, failing powers, and a terrifying new threat.
- Director Daniel Destin Cretton brings dynamic Spider-Man action, comic-accurate visuals, sharp humor, and strong guest turns.
- Despite a slightly muddy middle, Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings big and offers one of Marvel’s most satisfying films in years.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes into theaters this weekend, into a familiar place, trying to save Marvel Studios from a funk. When No Way Home was released into theaters in December 2021, Eternals had just bombed the month before, and while Shang-Chi had performed well, that and Black Widow failed to keep the enthusiasm that had been there after Avengers: Endgame going. Most of that is because Marvel had trained its audience to expect Endgame as a jumping-off point, and the pandemic theater-going experience was not very fun. But there was no denying that something was missing. Spidey has always been the exception to that, and No Way Home was a blockbuster, and one Marvel needed badly at the time. Add five years, and we are in the same spot. People are declaring that Marvel is dead, and the movies are not grossing as much, etc., etc. In walks Spidey to save the day yet again.
Spider-Man Swings Into A Comic Adventure Come To Life
We pick up four years after the events of No Way Home, with the world not knowing who Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is behind the mask, including his fellow heroes and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), as well as his one true love, MJ (Zendaya). Without anyone to lean on, he throws himself completely into being Spidey, ridding New York of most crime. When a mysterious powered individual, maybe the scariest he has ever faced off against, starts to mess with Peter in ways he could have never expected, he has to lean on Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) and others to try and right a wrong he created. In the middle of all this, his powers are going haywire, further complicating things in troublesome ways.
In the directing chair this time is Daniel Destin Cretton, who also helmed Shang-Chi, and they could not have made a better choice. His visual language is all over this film, and his ideas for how to display Peter's various powers and abilities give us some of the best Spidey action we have ever seen on film. He lifts images straight from the comics, and the way he moves through the film's story makes it feel like a comic come to life off the page, rather than an adaptation, which is refreshing. This is the best six-issue Spidey story Marvel has put out in some time. None of the other Marvel characters feel forced in there, save for one that just kind of pops up, though their cameo is also hilarious the times they show up. The script, from Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, weaves a great comic story full of quippy battles, great guest appearances, and just enough emotional punch. It could use another trip through the editing phase to tighten things up a bit, as the film does play a tad too long. There are a few spots where things could have been shaved down to really make this film move at the breakneck pace they are going for, but the middle suffers before the story ramps up again in the third act.
As far as Spidey himself, this is far and away the best Holland has ever been in the role. Gone for the most part are his annoying mumble-talk performances of the other three films, and in their place is a more confident performer. Nolan really brought it out of him, and he carried that into his performance as Peter. He stands taller, slows down a bit, and really blends Peter and Spider-Man together for the first time. Also crushing it is Berenthal as Frank. Can he get his own Punisher film, please? The way those two play off of each other will make your comic-loving heart sing. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are great as they are in the other films; some might even argue that this is the first time Holland has matched their energy. Sadie Sink is also as strong as always… though that is all that can be said about that for now, as any further discussion would spoil the surprises.
Spider-Man's live-action films have a lot of catching up to do with the Miles Morales-led Spider-Verse films, but Brand New Day is a huge step in the right direction. Besides a bit of a muddy middle section, this is as entertaining as a Marvel film is going to get these days. Comic readers will swoon for this. Hopefully, it won't be another five years between films this time, as this is a nice place to spring forward from and swing into Spidey's future onscreen.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Review by Jeremy Konrad
8/10
Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like a comic book crossover come to life in all the best ways. The best live-action Spidey film of the Marvel Studios era.
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