By Jon Brooks
“Sometimes, Spider-Man has to do the hard thing. Even if it breaks Peter Parker’s heart.” — Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”
As I was standing in the restroom, waiting for an open urinal after watching “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” one of my fellow viewers was rattling off all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies he hadn’t watched since 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” (read my review).
It’s a pretty common affliction.
One of the challenges in the “post-Thanos” era of the MCU is the fact that a number of the movies haven’t been nearly as compelling.
Sure, there have been some gems like “Shang-Chi” (read my review) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (read my review), but many of the characters that moviegoers had grown to love (like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers) are no longer the beating heart of the series.
I’ll admit that I have found myself less motivated in recent years to head to a multiplex to see the latest Marvel movie. I haven’t yet seen “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Captain America: Brave New World,” or “Thunderbolts” (but plan to view them on Disney+ at some point).
So it was with a bit of trepidation that I sat down to watch “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
My Spidey senses were tingling as I took my seat.
Since the Marvel movies have been intertwined like a soapy TV series, I was wondering if I had missed something pertinent along the way.
I’m sure other viewers have felt the same way.
One thing I can say up front is that “Spider Man: Brand New Day” continues the Tom Holland-led franchise with all the wit, charm, and excitement that fans have grown to love in this series.
SPIDEY’S MOVIE JOURNEY HAS BEEN FASCINATING
Spider-Man’s theatrical history has been an interesting one. Creative choices haven't always come easy due to the fact that multiple entities have been involved with the property.
Sony has owned the theatrical rights to the character since the 1990s. They also own the rights to hundreds of supporting “Spiderverse” characters.
This came as a result of financial troubles at Marvel Entertainment Group during that decade (prior to Disney acquiring the company in 2009).
At that time, the theatrical rights to other Marvel characters like the Hulk (purchased by Universal) and the X-Men and the Fantastic Four (both controlled by 20th Century Fox until Disney bought the studio) were sold for “peanuts” to generate quick cash.
This is why it took awhile for the Spider-Man character to be integrated into Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. Creative decisions have been a continual negotiation between Sony and Disney.
Despite all the legal hangups, it has been pretty remarkable how well the “collaboration” has worked as it regards the Spider-Man franchise.
WORKIN’ FOR A LIVIN’
In the early stages of “Brand New Day” we find Spider-Man (Tom Holland) working on his own, fighting crime in New York City.
A spell was cast by Doctor Strange at the end of 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” that resulted in the world forgetting who Peter Parker is (done in order to save the world from a “multiverse” of problems).
That meant girlfriend Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson (Holland’s real-life wife Zendaya) and his buddy Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) are no longer in Parker’s life.
The events in “No Way Home” were set into motion due to a disgraced Parker (who was publicly outed as Spider-Man by the Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson) trying to find a way for his two friends to get into MIT (all three were rejected by the school as a result of Parker’s alleged exploits).
MJ and Ned were ultimately able to attend MIT, but our hero (whose alter-ego is no longer known to the world) has abandoned his academic endeavors.
“Brand New Day” starts off with Spider-Man stopping various crimes around the city. Our hero is no longer a heretic. In fact, he’s a local hero.
The character is evolving. As the movie progresses, we see emotional and physical changes in Parker.
As much as I love Holland’s Spider-Man films, the character sometimes felt like a mere cog in the Avengers engine.
Being Tony Stark’s protege was a cool hook for Parker. But being the “Iron Spider” kept the character from fully realizing his full potential.
It’s readily apparent that the folks running Marvel Studios wanted to make the character’s powers less “gadget-based” and more “organic” in nature (similar to Tobey Maguire’s version of Spider-Man featured in the Sam Raimi movies).
Like a teenager going through puberty, Parker’s “inner arachnid” is coming to the surface. For example, he develops organic web slingers (and has to ditch the mechanical version he’s been using), but the issues facing our hero go further than that.
I have a theory on why this is taking place, and I will get to that in a little bit…
Anyhow, our hero comes across a new threat as he is chasing down ne’er-do-wells in the form of a mysterious individual (known only as V-Max) who is able to perform a “mind-control-possession” thing on unsuspecting victims.
For some reason, this new “villain” isn’t able to control Parker’s mind, but he also can’t trust the words and actions of those around him.
As a result, Spider-Man has to play a game of “who do you trust” as the narrative unfolds.
WHERE IS SPIDER-MAN HEADED?
Parker also has to come to terms with how he is going to control his own biological changes… and how he is going to thwart the mind-control abilities of his antagonist.
This becomes the crux of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s” second and third acts.
We find Parker reaching out to Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), a man who has considerable experience concocting methods to “hamper” his inner Hulk.
This eventually leads Parker to a moral dilemma, questioning whether or not these unique biological abilities should be controlled.
The fundamental question is this: “Where is all of this leading?”
It is apparent that Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige is laying the groundwork for a new X-Men movie.
The mysterious V-Max (played by “Stranger Things” actress Sadie Sink) is revealed to be a character with “unique abilities”… a character that keen Marvel observers should be very familiar with.
But how does Peter Parker/Spider-Man fit into all of this? There has to be a salient reason his metamorphosis is taking place.
My theory is that the genetically evolving Parker will be part of the new-look X-Men group. Yes, I know that sounds bizarre, but the possibility is there.
Including Spider-Man in an upcoming X-Men reboot would be a smart way to spur interest. Moreover, it would pave the way for better box office potential.
We’ve seen a lot of attempts to revitalize the X-Men movie franchise in the past. They need a new hook to get wary (and weary) viewers interested again.
Practical considerations like this have to be considered in the current theatrical climate.
I could be wrong, but that’s how I’m reading the tea leaves at the moment.
SOME THINGS I LIKED
One of the stronger characters featured in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is Frank Castle/Punisher (Jon Bernthal).
This incarnation of the character is pulled from Marvel’s “The Punisher” TV series (that also starred Bernthal).
I haven’t watched the series, but I think I might check it out after seeing Castle in action in “Brand New Day.”
Castle provides a rough-and-tumble “blue collar” sensibility to the movie. The character ends up aiding and working alongside Spider-Man. The odd-couple dynamic between the two is pretty entertaining. Overall, Castle was a nice addition to the lineup.
It was also nice to see “red-hot” actor Tramell Tillman in the film playing Bill Metzger (who is head of the Department of Damage Control).
Tillman is best known for playing Seth Milchick in the Apple TV series “Severance” (a terrific show, by the way). He also played a naval officer in last year’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.”
Even though it isn’t the biggest role, Tillman gives you a lot with what little he has to work with.
In addition to the new characters, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has a new director on board.
The previous head of the “current era” Spider-Man franchise was Jon Watts.
This time out, Destin Daniel Cretton was tasked with the directing duties.
Cretton previously directed the 2018 Marvel movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (read my review).
In my review of “Shang-Chi” I wrote, “the likable vibe of [“Shang-Chi”] makes for a surprisingly strong viewing experience.”
I think he was an effective choice to lead this entry in the “Spider-Man” series.
The overall look and feel of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is different than the past films in the series. I liked the new vibe.
I am hoping he directs more Marvel movies down the road.
FRIENDS FOREVER, RIGHT?
A key theme winding its way through “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is the future of Peter’s relationship with MJ and Ned.
The three were a capable trio in the previous Spider-Man movies. More than that, there was a likable dynamic between the characters.
I think one of the reasons “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is doing as well as it is at the box office has to do with Peter’s inner-turmoil as he lives a life without them, while yearning to be reunited with them.
It has been a difficult four years for Parker.
All of this makes Spider-Man a very relatable hero for the moviegoing audience.
In my opinion, that is what ranks him among the best in the current crop of Marvel Cinematic Universe characters.
FINAL THOUGHTS
For more than a decade, Marvel movies largely shaped the theater-going experience. They stood as stalwart tentpoles annually at the box office.
It has been a rocky road for the Marvel Cinematic Universe the past five years, but there are hopeful signs on the horizon.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a step in the right direction. It is an exciting movie with great visual effects and some terrific action sequences (although, my littlest nephew said he wished there was MORE action in the movie 😉).
All that said, the key selling point of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is the human side of the story. We feel for Peter Parker as he deals with the emotional turmoil brought on by the decisions he has made.
We sense his inner struggle as he attempts to reconcile an existential crisis brought on by factors outside of his control.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at its best when the human dynamic is at its strongest.
This is one of the strongest superhero movies in recent memory.
Rated PG-13, Runtime: 2 hrs, 25 min
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