By Calder Costantini – Entertainment Editor

Spider-Man has long been one of Marvel’s most recognizable heroes. Tom Holland continues the legacy with the iconic “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” released on July 30. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the movie runs two and a half hours and stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Sadie Sink. “Brand New Day” brings plenty of action and humor to the Spider-Man franchise, but its strongest moments come from its characters and story. 

“Brand New Day” opens four years after the previous movie, with Peter Parker living alone in his New York City apartment, being a full-time Spider-Man while watching his friends and previous life move on without him. The responsibilities of being Spider-Man are hard to balance for Peter throughout the movie, forcing him to take on new challenges while trying to figure out what kind of hero he wants to be. The movie does a great job of keeping the story interesting by mixing stressful, action-packed scenes with the short, snarky humor that has become part of Tom Holland’s identity as Spider-Man. One of the movie’s biggest strengths is the villain, Jean Grey. Played by Sadie Sink, Jean Grey brings an X-Men character into the Marvel Universe for the first time. This movie follows Peter going through changes mentally and physically, taking a more emotion-driven approach that contrasts with the normal Marvel movies.

The acting in “Brand New Day” was great. Undeniably, Tom Holland has always done a great job as Spider-Man, and Zendaya has always been controversial as MJ, but in “Brand New Day,” she does an amazing job. Fans emphasize the performance of Sadie Sink as Jean Grey; Marvel took a big chance on bringing a brand new villain into the universe, let alone an X-Men character, and it paid off. One of the movie’s weaker points is its supporting cast. Outside the main characters, the only fun and interesting supporting character seems to be Jon Bernthal as The Punisher. In previous movies, the supporting cast has always been rich with Aunt May, Happy Hogan, and more, but after May’s passing in the previous movie, the characters seem to lack depth.

Another major strength in “Brand New Day” was the writing. The writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, said they wanted to stray away from previous Spider–Man films with the writing, plot, and pacing. Instead of crafting a multiversal, action-packed superhero movie like No Way Home, they took a more intimate, character-driven approach that hooks viewers with emotion and writing, rather than just action and humor. However, “Brand New Day” still contains a healthy amount of both. Another strong critique fans bring up is the movie’s focus on setting up future Marvel projects, with some storylines and characters feeling more like a setup for future Marvel movies, like “Doomsday” releasing in late 2026 or “Secret Wars” coming in 2027.

Overall, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a great addition to the Spider-Man franchise. The movie’s acting, writing, and overall performance keep viewers hooked from beginning to end, while its personal approach helps viewers understand Peter more than in previous movies. While the ending was not everyone’s favorite, it was handled well and gave the story a satisfying conclusion. “Brand New Day” might not be the best Spider-Man movie, but it is still a movie worth watching if you’re a fan of Marvel and Spider-Man.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars