By James Pearson on
Spider-Man: Brand New Day finally shows us what Spider-Man (Tom Holland) can look like standing on his own two feet, without the support of not only his friends and family, but of an A-list MCU character. It has been a long-running joke that Spider-Man movies only work with a star-studded cast, and despite this movie once again having a stacked character (as well as actor) list, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker truly stands alone, and the lovely array of side characters purely help to hold up his story, rather than drive it.
This movie lit a spark in me that had been slowly dying over time. Briefly kept alive thanks to movies such as ‘Thunderbolts*’ and ‘The Fantastic Four, First Steps’, my love for the MCU was slowly dying. After years of an unknown future and mediocre to terrible rollout of content I like many, was starting to lose faith. Then, on Wednesday, July 29th, that faith was restored. This movie is a true love letter to fans of the MCU and Spider-Man. And a lot of this is thanks to Destin Daniel Cretton’s direction and the amazing writing of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. These three have created a story that truly feels like a Spider-Man adventure ripped from the comics, with a nice seasoning of MCU details that seem to even push the overarching story of this cinematic universe far past movies we know are still yet to come.
But I can already hear you asking, what about the biggest spoiler of the movie: who is Sadie Sink playing? Well, I can reveal, which might not be a surprise to some, that Sink is officially our new MCU Jean Grey! Yes, the X-Men have officially joined the chat! A heavily rumoured, leaked and speculated casting, Sink is a natural on screen. Most famous for her role as Max in Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’, Sink wastes no time in proving her stardom wasn’t a one-and-done deal. Now this isn’t the Jean Grey fans will recognise. For one, she is younger, and alongside this, much angrier. But to be fair, so would I if my sister was kidnapped and killed by a government organisation looking to weaponise our shared superpowers. Wouldn’t you?
It’s clear with the MCU set on the path to ‘DoomsDay’ and then ‘Secret Wars’ shortly after, that we may be in for a ‘reset’ of sorts, so I think fans should expect some sort of revamp of Jean’s new backstory. But I hope her close relationship with Peter can survive. Not only was it a nice call back to ‘Spider-Man and his amazing friends’, an old Marvel cartoon that featured; Spider-Man, Ice-Man and Firestar - Of course Jean didn’t appear, but she could easily take the role of Firestar in this trio which could prove to be a crowd pleaser - but it also cements Tom Holland’s Peter Parker with not only a position in the future of the MCU, but an upgrade from mentee to mentor.
But let’s get back on track. This is a Spider-Man movie after all. So let’s focus back on the main man himself. Holland once proved he was born to play Spider-Man, but most importantly, Peter Parker. Many fans will tell you they either like an actor’s Peter or an actor’s Spidey; for me personally, Tom smashes both. His Spidey is the perfect mix of strategic but clumsy. His quips are always hilarious, and with the help of Destin’s new direction with the stunts, he’s never looked more like Spider-Man. But his Peter in this movie is the standout of his performance. The pain this character has gone through over the last ten years on our screens is on full display. You feel Peter’s heartbreak of losing everyone in his life, and struggling with being alone. A solitude he has chosen out of fear of losing the ones he loves once more.
Then there’s Peter’s ‘mutation’. Now yes, I was a little disappointed we didn’t go all the way and do Man-Spider. But I understand this is a family movie and seeing Tom Holland shift into a human spider hybrid could be.. Disturbing. Cool, but disturbing. But I think using this new development as a connection to Jean was smart. I think they handled it well. I loved the call back to Peter meeting his alternate self with this similar mutation, and the visuals with his eyes were cool! I’m intrigued to see if they drop this storyline or continue it but either way I was with Peter the organic webs were gross!
Tom’s acting in this movie is top-notch. He’s a joy as always to watch, and it’s great to see him in a role that perfectly fits him. It’s been a great year for Tom, and if the end credit scene of this movie is anything to go by, his year has only just begun.
If I had one criticism of the character, it would be that the film doesn’t give much room for Peter’s dual‑identity angst, something the past films have thrived in, leaving a lot of that pain and character building as subtext through quick montage at the beginning of the movie. Which is understandable, but for more non-diehard MCU fans, the shift in his character could be jarring. Then there’s the effect this shift has on his co-stars’ characters, like Zendaya.
MJ’s role is mostly limited to being a pressure point for Jean to push on when confronting Peter, but Zendaya still manages to evolve MJ’s blend of dry wit and quiet empathy as the character herself has grown and moved on since losing her memories in the last movie. She leans into the weirdness of Peter re‑entering her life, and her scenes with Holland have a lived‑in nuance. Plus, their real-life chemistry remains undeniable, as it shines through in their small moments together at Frank’s place.
The rest of the cast all pull their weight. Jacob Batalon was a surprise. I’ve never been a fan of his character, but found this version almost pleasant. And even I smiled at the handshake at the end of the movie. Mark Ruffalo makes a triumphant return as the Hulk, with the Big Green monster’s return feeling earned and used well. It was fun to finally see two of Marvel’s biggest IP characters finally share the screen. Marisa Tomei makes a surprise return as Aunt May, which definitely brought a tear to my eye. It wouldn’t have felt like an MCU Spider-Man movie without her. Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle is a perfect fit for the film; his inclusion helps ground Spidey as a street-level hero, and it’s fun to see Holland and Bernthal reunited after the aid they gave each other in securing their roles. But the best cameo of the movie was by far Florence Pugh. Her scenes with Holland were hilarious, and it excites me for more crossovers with the wider MCU for Spider-Man in the future.
Destin Daniel Cretton picks up the directorial baton from Jon Watts with confidence. Cretton’s broad strokes are clean, and his knack for kinetic action makes Holland’s Spider‑Man feel more agile and visually precise than ever. The use of live stunts and multiple comic book cover recreations truly makes this feel like a Spider-Man comic come to life. I even felt like there were some Insomniac‑style (the company responsible for the PS4 Spider-Man line of games) flourishes in the combat, a fun hint to another beloved version of the character.
Destin’s idea to ground Spider‑Man within the wider MCU mostly works, even if fans (including myself) who were hoping for deeper dives into classic Spidey characters like Scorpion, Tombstone, or Boomerang will find themselves a little disappointed that these characters are relegated to background dressing. Instead, the film leans on having Spidey make it out on his own with familiar faces to support Peter’s journey and give fans the team-ups they’ve been asking for years. Bruce Banner is a natural fit for the science‑heavy dilemmas, but Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle steals the show, offering a volatile, uncle‑like counterpoint to Peter’s grief and guilt. Both characters, alongside Sink’s Jean, create a nice rounded cast of MCU connections to a story that still has a grounded theme. (Even if that theme is slightly lost near the end.)
Even with the MCU tie‑ins, Brand New Day keeps its franchise‑setup obligations to a minimum, with nothing explicitly being said. Jean quite literally rides off into the sunset, maybe off to join the X-Men? Many fans note that Peter’s inhibitor chip seems to have gone missing, maybe setting something up down the line with an inhibitor collar and the X-Men? And the end-credit scene that hints at Spidey’s return… of world? Whether this is an intentional character focus or simply because Avengers: Doomsday is around the corner, the smaller scale is refreshing after several high‑concept outings, and definitely reminds me of the old MCU days when the film focused on the characters and the teases of the future were just that. Teases.
Ultimately, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ refocuses on the character’s strongest foundations: balancing life and heroism while swinging through New York looking effortlessly cool. Some of Peter’s emotional beats feel familiar enough that it fits nicely with the previous trio, but it has a new, more mature feel that definitely feels like a new step forward for the character. The film still delivers a nimble, intimate adventure that gives Holland, Zendaya, Sink, and the rest of the cast room to shine, and helps to cement this as one of the best MCU adventures to date.
If you want to hear any of my thoughts on the reveal of Sadie Sink’s new role in the MCU and who else could join her in the MCU’s new wave of mutants, then please check out some of my new articles!