Product Info

Studio

Sony Pictures

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Genre

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated

PG-13

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Jul 31, 2026

Film Length

2hr 25min

Purchase From

The newest Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, stars Tom Holland (The Odyssey, Uncharted) as the superhero. It’s more grounded than the last film, No Way Home and it’s the first Spider-Man film to be under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton. It’s a positive-feeling experience for Spider-Man fans. Making the film a consistently good film series of the web crawler and one of Marvel’s best superhero movies today.

Our spoiler-free review continues below.

Does Whatever a Spider Can

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Brand New Day takes place years after the events of the 2021 film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. While No Way Home felt more like a large-scale sci-fi film, Brand New Day returns to a more realistic portrayal of the Spider-Man world that resembles its earlier films. The movie is more about Peter Parker’s journey as Spider-Man as he tries to protect the city from all sorts of crime and feels more mature than its previous entries.

The opening montage quickly re-establishes Spider-Man as an everyday hero for New York, with more emphasis on neighborhood crime than global catastrophe. That’s a refreshing change from the multiverse spectacle of No Way Home. The web-crawler superhero is shown to be more of a hero working with the police, whereas in past Spider-Man shows and movies, he feels like a menace and is on the run more often. Both have their advantages: working with the police shows a more positive experience to the younger audience, but longtime fans may prefer a vigilante who runs from the police. With all the situations Spider-Man will be put through, one less obstacle with the police makes it feel less overwhelming.

Further in the film, it later introduces a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows. This villain is always getting involved with things behind the scenes that can affect not only the world of Spider-Man but Peter Parker’s private life as well. This mysterious antagonist plays their role with some great acting and sets the tone for a lasting effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans should be excited to see where the story goes next with this antagonist.

At the same time, Peter is struggling through a change in his body where his arachnid powers are growing off the charts, overtaking his human control. Peter faces a challenge in controlling his abnormal strength, sensitive hearing, and adapting to organic webbing. As you watch all the scenarios Spider-Man is facing, viewers will witness Parker’s transformation into a mature superhero.

Friendly-Neighborhood Friends

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Still, Spider-Man does show him some goofy moments to bring in laughter and it’s great to see it occur throughout the film. Along the ride, Spider-Man and the Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Odyssey), bring highlights of their back-and-forth arguments and some teamwork that doesn’t always work out. If you enjoyed Jon’s performance as the Punisher in his series shown on Netflix and Disney+, then you’ll enjoy his time on the big screen with the antihero and smartass attitude.

Fans will also see the return of Bruce Banner as the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right, The Avengers), as he makes appearances in various forms. Bringing in more thrills to the film but also not taking away too much screentime. With various characters shown in Brand New Day, it feels quite balanced in how much time these characters spend on screen, hardly stealing the spotlight from Spider-Man.

Those who remembered how Peter Parker’s close friends MJ, played by Zendaya (The Odyssey, The Greatest Showman), and Ned, played by Jacob Batalon (Novocaine, The Wrecking Crew), lost their memories after the events of the last film are slowly brought into Peter’s life, more so for MJ because of their past relationship. Brand New Day effectively portrays the characters’ memories, explaining that recalling their past connection is not instantaneous and instead focuses on the development of a new relationship. It makes for some touching moments. If you enjoyed the roles both these characters play, you’ll still enjoy their roles in this one.

The main drawback of the film is that its long runtime of almost two and a half hours results in too many scenes, making it challenging for some viewers to follow all the subplots. If you don’t have some knowledge of the previous Tom Holland Spider-Man films, you will encounter difficulties. Besides, if you already seen movies like Thunderbolts* and the other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films that have the Hulk, then you will enjoy the movie more with the extra cameo. Even with all the additional cameos, the amount of MCU content does feel heavy at times that can interrupt some of the pacing. Trimming some of these moments would make the experience smoother.

There Goes the Spider-Man

©2026 CTMG. All Rights Reserved. MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2026 MARVEL.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has some cool creative visuals and effects. Special effects capture the energy of Spider-Man and his battles against a variety of foes, especially in the beginning and climax. The cinematographic scenes are also superb. For example, while Spider-Man moves in a circular pattern in mid-air, the camera follows him, showing that the background is the one moving and not the main focal point of the superhero. Another example occurs at the beginning of the film, where Spider-Man is seen sitting on a beam of a tower with the city skyline behind him, but the skyline and everything except Spider-Man appear upside down. There’s some creative camera work, and I think it’s a technique that helps the dynamic and acrobatic feel of Spider-Man.

While there’s a new director to the film, Michael Giacchino returns to compose the music for Brand New Day. The film effectively incorporates key emotional and heroic moments. Scenes carry more emotion, and action sequences have a greater impact due to Michael’s orchestrated pieces, which help the film feel more grounded and street-level, aligning with the story’s portrayal.

The Final Web

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings back into a more grounded adventure with strong character moments, stylish action, and a heartfelt story. While its lengthy runtime and interconnected MCU story occasionally slows the momentum, Tom Holland delivers an exciting new chapter for the friendly neighborhood hero.

An early screening was provided for this review. Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in theaters on July 31, 2026. Fans can visit the film’s official website for more information and ticket purchasing of their local theater.