This review was made possible by Popped attending an advanced screening of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Years after the world forgot about Peter Parker, Spider-Man remains ever vigilant in his crusade against crime in New York City. Spider-Man: Brand New Day brings Tom Holland back into the iconic red and blue spandex, and into his new life, all alone in the big city and facing the worst that the streets of New York have to offer, and I’m not just talking about his enemies. With a new director and creative team at the helm, how does the film shape up compared to the previous trilogy and are they able to elevate this mainstay in the Marvel Universe in this Brand New Day?
A Brand New Way
One of the most exciting new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man sphere for many is who is sitting in the director’s chair this time around. For the first three films in the MCU, Jon Watts held onto the reins and direction of the character before bowing out of this and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. In his place came Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wonder Man. Praised for his strong direction and choreography in Shang-Chi, many were instantly excited to see what he could bring to Spider-Man, and boy did he succeed.
Cretton’s direction is a total and complete breath of fresh air that brings a brand new energy to Spider-Man. The way he swings, the way he fights, the way he is. I can’t speak for everyone when I say this, but it’s always felt like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was missing something. I was never sure if it was just his performance or the material and direction he was being given, but this film finds Holland completely in his element. This feels like the most authentic depiction of Peter Parker in the MCU yet, and this is a direction that should be used as a blueprint going forward.
This movie has a lot to juggle, with an array of characters plucked from unique corners of the MCU, but the one thing that they all share in common is the weight of the mantles they carry, the life of being a hero, and the cost of being different. While Frank Castle doesn’t see it like that, summing it up nicely by calling it a “sentence.” These are things that Peter struggles with throughout the film and is able to relate to those around him and find freedom in their resolutions.
Brand New Foes
Well, not all of them are entirely brand new, but Scorpion (Michael Mando) is at least…new! Brand New Day introduces a handful of new Spider-Man villains into the MCU, something fans have been dying to see. Although many of them barely get any screen time at all beyond a brief montage, we certainly get the most from Scorpion out of all of them. We have been waiting ever so patiently to finally see the incredible Michael Mando don his iconic alter ego and get that rematch he’s been waiting for.
Like previously mentioned, not in a lot of the film, but when we really get to see him fight Spider-Man, man, do they make it worth it. The filmmakers and fight choreographers got creative as hell with that tail and have Mac Gargan give Spidey a real run for his money.
Brand New Friends
As with any MCU Spider-Man film, Peter just has to have a buddy to help him out along the way. The films have made an effort to make each one pretty different from the last, and this time around we’ve got an extra special guest with Jon Bernthal reprising his role as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher.
All I’ve got to say about Bernthal as Punisher in this is that whoever is writing him needs to keep writing him, as this is yet another refreshing aspect of the film. Bernthal’s performance has always had a flood of fans, of course, but many, as of late, have criticised the character for failing to develop throughout his more recent appearances, and here we finally get to see that. Frank is not only an excellent foil to Spidey but shows an incredible amount of range in this appearance in both character and performance.
There is a real different side to this Punisher shown here, a changed man who still puts his no-nonsense steely demeanour first but feels more open to playful banter and camaraderie. His relationship with Peter is so fun; it’s such a great dynamic, and it makes Frank’s relationship with Daredevil look like a toxic romance.
Another return here is Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, exciting many with the imminent return of his worse half. While he isn’t in a ton of the film, what we do get from him is what we’ve been pining for since Avengers: Infinity War and seeing our jade giant truly Hulk out. It’s a satisfying, albeit brief, fight and leaves you clamouring for more of the big green fiend. Let’s hope that genie isn’t put back in the bottle for long.
A Brand New World
I am infatuated with the New York Cretton has built around Peter Parker and Spider-Man. It feels much more lived in and alive than previous Spidey films have made it seem. The last trilogy, and the MCU in general, has always felt like it was more interested in putting Spidey up against world-ending and multiversal threats when all he ever needed was his friendly neighbourhood. His connection to NYC and its people is just such an integral part of the character that so many forget.
Going forward, I think we also need to shed the weight of introductions; it’s done here so exceptionally well and only when it really needs to happen. The idea of a shared universe comes with the cost of so much happening that we can’t always be there to see it, and I think this film does it best. Multiple times throughout, we find Spider-Man greeting friends and allies that we may not have seen him interact with before, like Frank. They go about those instances as naturally as possible; there is no need for a big show of things, and it just helps make the world feel a lot more comfortable and breathing.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ – Final Thoughts
Destin Daniel Cretton brings us the most authentic and spectacular version of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man yet. This is the adaptation of the character that MCU fans have been waiting for, the street-level, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man that fans know and love. Taking inspiration from all the right places to bring us a brand new and exciting direction for the character that will surely ignite fans’ excitement for the character yet again.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases in theaters on July 31. Check out the trailer below!
