In the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie since Jon Watts’ Spider-Man trilogy concluded, Destin Daniel Cretton webs up his “back-to-basics” film in the first live-action Spider-Man film in five years.  

Without Dr. Strange’s magic tricks, it surely feels like a more grounded enterprise this time around for Peter Parker. No multiversal encounters to be found here, which can feel refreshing for the average moviegoer. Tom Holland and Zendaya’s chemistry is very different given the cliffhanger of the last film, but not for the worse, as it still adds a unique chapter to both of their acting resumes. Viewers will respect that Cretton acknowledged the lasting effects of 2021’s No Way Home and didn’t simply throw away the ending where Spider-Man’s closest friends forgot who he was in order to save the universe. 

This makes for all of the awkward and depressing scenes in this film that are the heart of the movie. How does Peter start over with his former friends who don’t remember who he is? And, with the big universe reset that No Way Home brought to Brand New Day, the title really fits: giving Tom Holland all of the uncharted space to make the character more his own in a grounded, darker, and realistic aesthetic throughout. Holland is solo for most of this NY-crime mystery adventure where he faces more mature themes of grief, loss, and starting over in relationships. 

Yet, the grounding can make the film’s overarching stakes (which have been much larger before in other Spider-Man crusades) seem minuscule. Cretton slyly sidesteps this as best he can by briefly bringing Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk into the movie. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher also brought a fitting and light-hearted “New-Yorker accented” style sidekick who occasionally dropped in to help. However, the film does have this feeling of “I’ve seen Spidey in bigger spectacles than this.” To some, that’ll hinder the movie; to others, it will be a breath of new adult life to the Spider-Man filmography.

Overall, this is more of a safe Spider-Man entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has admittedly better cinematography (at the cost of a few noticeable special and computer-generated effects). This is not the greatest Spider-Man film you will ever see; maybe a future Cretton script with a better plot and setpieces would break the mold. 

Nonetheless, Spider-Man Brand New Day certainly is a welcome addition and a fresh start indeed to a new wave of Spider-Man movies and no more Spider-Boy tales from the past. Peter Parker is alone and (for the most part) on his own in a city where no one knows him besides his superhero name and abilities, so it truly feels like a big, brand new day.