Phase 6 of the MCU is already off to a fantastic start with last year’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the momentum continues with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Franchise newcomer to the MCU’s Spider-Man film series Destin Daniel Cretton, taking over from Jon Watts, who directed the trilogy, chooses not to go with the typically bigger sequel rule in favor of a down-to-earth approach for a change.
This may sound like a downgrade, especially given Spider-Man: No Way Home’s multiverse-level and higher-stakes threat featuring three Spideys from different eras joining forces to fight a group of supervillains from Green Goblin to Doctor Octopus and Lizard. But let’s not forget that the 2021 movie ended with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man making an ultimate sacrifice by requesting Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to use a spell to erase everyone’s memory of him. And that includes his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), and best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon).
With Peter now on his own, marking the rightfully subtitled “brand new day” as he embraces a start-over as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man fighting crime in New York City while cooperating with NYPD detective DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas), where they are constantly in professional contact via phone calls. But when the mask’s off, Peter prefers to be more discreet and even live in solitude. Besides spending time at home interacting with his own AI assistant, E.V. (voiced by Naomi Watts), he is still trying to get close to MJ and Ned.
The street-level Spider-Man, unlike in the past when he used to benefit from Stark Industries’ advanced tech to accommodate his superpowers, is justifiable for the grounded take on his character. Just because Cretton opted for something smaller-scale, that doesn’t mean he forgets how to elevate the stakes amidst the drama surrounding Peter’s isolated life. This is especially true with a thrilling action set-piece earlier in the movie: a tank chase in which Spider-Man tries to stop the rampaging vehicle while dealing with Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal, marking the first time his iconic character transitions from a TV series to a feature film). Their odd-couple dynamic, indicating they already know each other from the past, is especially fun to watch as they disagree on how to handle things.
Then comes the interesting part, as Spider-Man finds himself encountering an unusual threat in the form of an unseen entity like it’s straight out of a supernatural horror that possesses one human after another, making it difficult for him to pinpoint who the real enemy behind all this is. It doesn’t help when he begins to suffer from unexplained body spasms, terrible headaches, and even losing control of his ability to fire web from his mechanical shooters on his wrists. The physical change feels as if the dark side of him has taken over his mind and body, causing him to behave erratically.
This is where Holland excels the most as a dramatic actor playing his signature role, as the story – credited to franchise regulars Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers – delves into the psychological duality triggered by Peter’s unresolved trauma and loss that still clings to him, from the tragic death of his beloved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) to a soulful longing of how he must cope with MJ and Ned no longer remember him.
The movie also introduces several characters, one of whom is Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink in a crucial role. She even steals the show each time she appears on screen, and let’s just say her character acts as a thematic and emotional foil to Peter’s ongoing crisis. Michael Mando, recently seen in Netflix’s 72 Hours, is sadly relegated to a background role as Scorpion, while it’s finally nice to see Mark Ruffalo returning to the angry Hulk mode instead of the toned-down, smart version seen in the recent MCU entries since the opening scene of Avengers: Infinity War. Better known as Savage Hulk, his notable presence includes a thrilling fight against Spider-Man at one point in the movie.
No doubt Cretton does a better job here than he did in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, notably with his way of balancing comic-book action, drama, and comedy. The action, choreographed by Peng Zhang, brings a distinctly elaborate Hong Kong-style action design with lots of wirework, showcasing Spider-Man’s graceful agility and acrobatic moves, namely the part where he fights against a ninja group nicknamed The Hand. The comedy, often one of the must-have staples in an MCU movie, is thankfully restrained, as Cretton is careful not to overcrowd it with unnecessary jokes.
