Spider-Man: Brand New Day, inconsequential entertainment

Until now, every new Spider-Man movie had been an event.

Whether it was Sam Raimi's trilogy or Tom Holland's previous three films —and, to a lesser extent, Andrew Garfield's two— they all had an important story to tell, with villains who shaped much of the plot and moments that left their mark on Peter Parker's life.

That's why I was surprised that Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn't. It had everything going for it to become one of Marvel's new pillars. And yet it's inconsequential. At least when judged as a film in its own right rather than part of some larger mega-project. Because bringing mutants into the MCU will clearly matter down the line.

Still, given that it has smashed box-office records with more than $2.5 billion in takings —the most for any Spider-Man film— I'm sure the executives at Sony and Marvel are delighted with the result.

Despite its limited ambition and role as a connecting chapter, it's an entertaining film, with terrific action scenes and Tom Holland as convincing as ever as Peter Parker.

He's joined by a couple of familiar faces, Punisher and Hulk, plus the introduction of a barely recognisable Jean Grey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But alongside its strengths, it has some fairly specific problems.

A more grown-up Spider-Man

The film picks up after the events of No Way Home, with a Peter Parker nobody remembers, who has virtually stopped having a life beyond being Spider-Man. It's a good starting point because it allows the film to leave the character's teenage years behind for good..

I like this more mature, independent, scientifically minded Spider-Man, who feels much closer to the original comics. Holland fits the change —he's older now— and it's believable to see him trying to solve his own problems, building technology and searching for explanations for what's happening to him. As I said, it's an important side of the character in the comics, and I'm glad to see it explored more fully on screen.

Zendaya is more grown-up too, although Peter and MJ's situation means their relationship has to work differently. The rest of the cast does a solid job, including Jon Bernthal as Punisher and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner..

Among the surprises, I'd particularly highlight Liza Colón-Zayas as Detective Jean DeWolff. She's one of those supporting characters who make an impression every time they appear without needing much screen time. A good addition.

Overall, the cast is probably one of the film's strongest points. The problems start when the plot has to make sense of everything that happens to them.

Brand New Jean Grey and the plot holes

But if we're talking about the cast, we have to mention the addition of Sadie Sink as Jean Grey. And this is where Brand New Day starts to go wrong.

It's not that the actress is bad. It's a writing problem. We're dealing with a different version from the one we know from earlier X-Men films and many of the comics. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Marvel needs to find a way to integrate mutants into its current cinematic universe, and it makes sense to reinterpret some characters to achieve that.

But this reinterpretation is pretty awful in every respect. For starters, her motivation is an absolute cliché we've seen hundreds of times before, handled with much more depth. For someone supposedly so important, that's unforgivable.

And then there are her powers.

At first Jean can jump from one mind to another and control other people, but the limits of that ability are never clear. At times she seems to have a very specific range, and when the story needs it, her abilities suddenly expand considerably.

It's also never made sufficiently clear why she can't enter Spider-Man's mind. There's a hint that it has to do with Peter's unique biology, but the explanation falls far short.

What's more, although she serves as the main antagonist for much of the film, Jean Grey isn't exactly an enemy of Spider-Man, which leaves the movie without a villain capable of sustaining the threat convincingly. That's one of the film's most obvious mistakes..

In the previous films, the villains had personalities and motivations that largely determined how good the movie was. Here several threats appear, but none carries that kind of weight.

To finish with this character, Jean Grey has potential, but she's underdeveloped in this film. It's clear that what she might mean for future Marvel movies matters more than what she brings to this story.

The glaring plot holes don't help either.

For example, the film introduces an evolution of Peter's spider DNA that, apparently, should be hugely important. The problem is that it never properly explains what this transformation involves, how far it can go or why it needs to be suppressed. I understand what it's trying to say about Peter's relationship with his powers, but I find the whole storyline rather confusing.

There are also inconsistencies in how Peter's memories are recovered. The film establishes severe consequences for his relationship with MJ, but then uses another mechanism involving Ned that seems much simpler. This undermines what No Way Home had established. 

There are a couple of smaller issues too. First, the film barely explains how Spider-Man tracker built by Ned works. How does he detect him so precisely without a tracking device? The film uses it because the plot needs it to work. Explanations can wait for the sequel.

And then, of course, there's the matter of Hulk on two counts. I doubt his appearance was necessary beyond a marketing stunt (nor Black Widow's, really). But what's worse is that in no possible universe in the multiverse should Spider-Man be able to beat Hulk using his normal powers.

Except here.

A spectacular movie. Sometimes

That said, the showdown with Hulk is spectacular. Fortunately, the action is much better than the screenplay.

Destin Daniel Cretton directs some genuinely excellent sequences and knows how to make the most of Spider-Man's movements. The choreography is well conceived, with camera movements that follow the character and make the fights feel extremely dynamic.

I also really liked Scorpion's appearance and Spider-Man's suit, which looks wonderfully detailed, convincing and faithful to the comics up close.

However, the visual effects don't always maintain that standard. In some long shots, especially when Spider-Man moves at high speed, he looks like a plasticine doll. The contrast is striking: you can go from a beautifully choreographed scene to another where the digital movement looks far too obvious.

It doesn't stop you enjoying the film, but it's hard to understand such a huge difference in quality from one scene to another..

The best of Spider-Man: Brand New Day

What stands out most to me is Peter Parker's development. Seeing him more mature, more independent and putting his scientific intelligence to use suits the character perfectly. Tom Holland is comfortable at this stage, and Zendaya remains just as convincing.

There are also terrific action scenes, especially when the camera follows the choreography instead of simply showing digital punches.

What's more, the film is entertaining and moves quickly enough that its nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime doesn't drag.

The worst of Spider-Man: Brand New Day

The screenplay is its biggest weakness. The evolution of Peter's DNA is inadequately explained, the rules governing Jean Grey's powers are inconsistent, and there's no villain with enough presence to give the conflict real substance.

Add uneven digital effects and the feeling that too many elements have been included with the future of Marvel's universe in mind. It feels far too much like another link in the MCU chain.

Although it doesn't feel long, I think the story could have been told in less time by cutting underdeveloped parts. There are too many ideas competing for attention, and not all earn their place.

Conclusions: another Spider-Man movie

All things considered, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an acceptable film in my view, although I'd rank it below Tom Holland's previous three.

It has good performances, a more interesting Peter Parker thanks to his maturity, and some action scenes that rank among the best of this era of the character. It's also perfectly watchable and keeps up a decent pace despite its length.

But it also has too many plot holes, an underdeveloped Jean Grey and rules for its characters' powers that seem to change whenever the story requires it.

What weighs on it most, though, is its lack of significance. You used to leave a Spider-Man movie feeling you'd witnessed an important chapter in Peter Parker's life. I was entertained for a couple of hours here, but I doubt I'll remember half the film when Marvel releases its next one.

And for a series that had managed to turn every instalment into an event, that feels like a letdown.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day technical details

Item	Information
Title	Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Year	2026
Director	Destin Daniel Cretton
Screenplay	Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers
Runtime	Approx. 145 minutes
Main cast	Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Jacob Batalon
Genre	Action, adventure and superheroes
Production	Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios and Pascal Pictures