Spider-Man: Brand New Day
July 28th, 2026
MOVIE: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY
STARRING: TOM HOLLAND, ZENDAYA, MARK RUFFALO, JON BERNTHAL
DIRECTED BY: DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 145 MINUTES
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why Spider-Man is one of the greatest superhero characters of all time. He’s not ferocious like Wolverine. He doesn’t have Batman’s mysterious edge, nor is he the most powerful hero like the Incredible Hulk. At his core, he’s just a young man- a teenager who once struggled to understand his newfound powers, then a hero fighting alongside the Avengers, and now an adult trying to find balance in his life. What has always made Spider-Man special is that, beneath the mask, he’s human. Spider-Man: Brand New Day leans into Peter Parker’s humanity, exploring the isolation that comes with his responsibility to protect New York while keeping his distance from the people he loves so they never become targets. The result is a thrilling adventure that examines who Spider-Man truly is as he confronts a dangerous new villain while searching for peace amid the burden of great responsibility.
Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers and directed by Shang-Chi filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, the story picks up four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter Parker is fully embracing life as Spider-Man, stopping bank robberies, upgrading his technology to stay ahead of his enemies, and living in complete isolation after Doctor Strange’s spell erased him from the memories of MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). But loneliness can only last for so long. When a mysterious new villain (Sadie Sink) begins wreaking havoc across New York, Peter is forced to confront the possibility that hiding from the world may no longer be an option.
Revealing much more about Brand New Day would venture into spoiler territory- although, in the age of the internet, chances are you’ll stumble across those spoilers whether you want to or not. What makes this installment so successful is the strength of its central story. Cretton ensures the screenplay gives Peter a compelling emotional arc, while Tom Holland continues to grow into the role of the web-slinger. Across Homecoming, Far From Home, No Way Home, and now Brand New Day, Holland has steadily evolved alongside the character. Here, Peter is still grieving the loss of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) while forging new alliances with Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Frank Castle, aka the Punisher (Jon Bernthal, who practically steals every scene he’s in). Those relationships, combined with a grounded narrative and several outstanding action sequences, make a convincing case that Holland is the best cinematic Spider-Man to date. Fresh off The Odyssey, he has completely embraced the role, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine anyone else wearing the suit.
If there’s one major drawback to Brand New Day, it’s the lighting. Whether it was the projection at my AMC theater or simply my eyesight, much of the film appeared frustratingly dark. Several scenes are so dimly lit that visual details are difficult to appreciate. The Hulk often looks more gray than green, and the film lacks the vibrant color palette that traditionally allows Spider-Man’s iconic red-and-blue suit to pop against the New York skyline.
Despite that significant flaw- and a screenplay that occasionally falls into familiar superhero-movie formulas- Brand New Day soars thanks to a spectacular third act. Peter must confront a formidable new enemy while learning to move beyond his grief, because superheroes don’t get days off. Especially Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is thrilling, heartfelt, and grounded, serving as a reminder that Peter Parker is the hero willing to shoulder every burden, no matter the personal cost. That’s exactly the kind of hero we all deserve.
3 STARS
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY IS PLAYING IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE ON FRIDAY, JULY 31ST, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
