The plot: Peter Parker devotes his life to protecting New York City as a full-time Spider-Man. But as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he’s ever faced.
I was looking forward to this new Spider-Man movie.
Brand New World was very good.
Pros: This one does make me feel like I’m watching a Spider-Man TV Episode telling a Peter Parker story. I love how this film covers topics like depression, loneliness & also that it’s important to value human connections. At times I felt emotional during moments of the film. The suit looks amazing. You get little downtime getting the story brief. I like Spidey chemistry/interactions with Frank Castle, Yelena Belova & Bruce Banner. Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man after this film, in my opinion. Sadie Sink’s mystery character surprised me. MJ & Ned work without sacrificing the ending from No Way Home & everyone tracking and caring after the movie ended.
Cons: A lot of the villains miss used through the film. The Hulk disappointingly wasn’t on screen that long. I didn’t understand most of Yelena’s dialogue & the trailer spoiled moments they could have saved for the movie.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, Rachel O’Connor
Written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
Based on The Amazing Spider-Man by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando & Mark Ruffalo.
Cinematography: Brett Pawlak
Edited by Nat Sanders, Gina Sansom, Harry Yoon
Music by Michael Giacchino
Production companies: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing
The Cast:
- Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man:
A former Avenger who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Following Dr. Stephen Strange‘s spell at the end of the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), the world has forgotten that Peter exists, and he is now focused on anonymously protecting New York City from street-level crime, with director Destin Daniel Cretton stating that Peter is “dedicating his entire existence” to being Spider-Man. - Zendaya as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson:
Peter’s former classmate and ex-girlfriend who attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with Ned Leeds, with whom she shares an apartment. MJ has a new love interest in the film, causing conflicting feelings for Peter. - Sadie Sink as Jean Grey:
A mutant with psionic abilities such as telekinesis, telepathy, and possession who was captured by the Department of Damage Control (DODC) and comes into conflict with Spider-Man. The film depicts Jean’s origin story differently, having her develop her powers alongside her sister Sara Grey, instead of manifesting in a car accident as post-traumatic stress disorder like in the comics. - Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds:
Peter’s former best friend who attended MIT with MJ. He has created an app called “Spidey Tracker” in the hopes of learning who Spider-Man is to thank him for saving Ned and his classmates while they were in high school. Batalon stated that Ned and MJ live “really great, full lives” despite both feeling that “something’s kind of missing”, and added that the creation of the Spidey Tracker by the former is his way of finding the “missing link” between them and Spider-Man. - Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher:
A vigilante who, following the brutal murder of his family, aims to fight the criminal underworld by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results are. The film follows Castle’s role in the Disney+ television special The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026), which explores his “psychological state” going into Brand New Day; Bernthal stated that the character has essentially “sworn off human beings” by the start of the film. Castle operates from a houseboat named Golden Girl, built from a converted industrial barge, which serves as both a command center and a safe house. Producer Kevin Feige said the character would have a “different tonality” in the film compared to his previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) appearances, which lean more into his violent actions than this film’s PG-13 rating would allow. Holland said the dynamic between Peter and Castle evolved as he and Bernthal improvised during filming, with their characters going from hating each other to developing a “big brother/little brother rivalry”. Holland also highlighted the similarities between Peter and Castle by stating that both characters are “going through the same thing”, which leads Castle to take on a mentor role for Peter, helping him cope with his troubled state of mind. Castle’s Battle Van from the comics is featured for the first time in live-action. - Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow: A member of the New Avengers who was trained in the Red Room as a Black Widow assassin
- Tramell Tillman as William “Bill” Metzger:
The head of the DODC who is policing superpowered individuals. Following a breakout at the DODC facility, Metzger enlists Spider-Man’s help in dealing with an invisible threat that only he can sense and to which he is immune thanks to his powers. - Marisa Tomei as May Parker: Peter’s deceased aunt, who appears in flashback sequences
- Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A founding Avenger and genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a muscular, green-skinned humanoid when enraged or agitated. Banner is now a professor at Empire State University (ESU), teaching quantum mechanics, and Peter turns to him for help regarding his evolving superpowers. Banner wears an inhibitor device to suppress the gamma radiation in his body and appear in his human form; this technology was introduced during the mid-credits scene of the film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and explained in the Disney+ television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022). After Banner successfully merged both sides of his personality into “Smart Hulk” in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019), Brand New Day sees him regressing to his uncontrollable, destructive “Savage Hulk” persona, last seen in the film Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Additional actors reprising their MCU roles include Michael Mando as Mac Gargan / Scorpion, a criminal who was previously captured by Spider-Man and arrested in the film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), now wearing a suit of armor equipped with a mechanized scorpion-like tail; and Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera, the new mayor of New York City. Liza Colón-Zayas portrays Jean DeWolff, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) detective; Marvin Jones III portrays Lonnie Lincoln / Tombstone, a crime boss with albinism, near-indestructible skin, and superhuman strength; Eman Esfandi appears as a new boyfriend for MJ; Olivia Booth-Ford portrays Sara Grey, Jean’s older, also-mutant sister who possesses the same powers as her; Shannon Young Cho portrays Cindy, one of Banner’s students at ESU; Billy Clements portrays Ramrod, a cyborg supervillain; and Naomi Watts voices E.V., Parker’s artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Keith David voices the narrator in a nature documentary on spiders that Parker watches. Other characters appearing in the film include supervillains Boomerang and Tarantula, as well as the organization the Hand, with stunt performer and martial artist Fan Xiaoshuang appearing as the leader of the organization. News anchor Pat Kiernan also appears as himself after doing so in various other MCU projects. Tony Revolori and Martin Starr appear in photographs as their respective MCU characters Flash Thompson and Roger Harrington.
I highly recommend watching this film in cinemas to those who love Spider-Man.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident film reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe