Spider-Man: Brand New Day (United States, 2026)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth film featuring Tom Holland as the MCU-based titular webcrawler, feels less like a movie and more like a random, overlong episode in the middle of a streaming series. Littered with low-tension, monotonous action sequences, the production surprisingly hits its stride in the quieter moments, when relationships, not fighting, take center-stage. Brand New Day offers some excellent character-based work, but the unfortunate needs of the superhero spectacle easily swamp the best things the movie has to offer.

The term "hangout movie" was coined by Quentin Tarantino to describe a film in which the plot plays second fiddle to the interactions among characters who are just… hanging out. In a sense, that applies to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The storyline is, to quote one of the characters, "small potatoes." The engaging material instead focuses on Peter Parker's attempts to build new relationships, especially with Frank "The Punisher" Castle (Jon Bernthal) and Jean Grey (Sadie Sink), and reconnect with old friends like MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon). Alas, this being a superhero movie, there's always an uninspired battle just around the corner, a plot hole waiting to jostle the narrative, and an underwhelming villain ready to pounce. These elements make Brand New Day frustratingly inconsistent, tonally uneven, and unsure of its own identity.

To its credit, the screenplay (credited to Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, but featuring contributions from numerous others who didn't pass the WGA's bizarre rules) doesn't use the traditional superhero trope of a bad guy with superpowers trying to amass power for nefarious ends. Instead, it's more about misunderstood and traumatized individuals trying to work through their issues by employing inadvisable methods of self-therapy. The "villain" is so weak and ineffective as to be almost invisible, which is one reason why the film overall feels so formless. The crisis seems manufactured, and there's no real anchor.

Brand New Day features a number of appearances intended to link this movie more firmly to the MCU firmament. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) gets a few scenes. The new Black Widow (Florence Pugh) gives Tom Holland a chance to show off his surprisingly sculpted chest. The Punisher traverses an arc from enemy to big brother, and Jean Grey makes her MCU debut. Marisa Tomei's Aunt May comes back in a flashback/dream sequence. Thanos and Tobey Maguire's "Spider-Man #2" get name-checks. At some point, it goes beyond Easter eggs into intrusive fan service. It's great for those with an encyclopedic understanding of Marvel minutiae, but slightly annoying for everyone else.

The story picks up approximately four years after the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The still-anonymous Peter Parker has holed up in his own high-tech version of the Batcave, waiting for any and every new opportunity to don the Spidey suit and stop another crime. He has his own version of Commissioner Gordon (Detective Jean DeWolff, played by Liza Colón-Zayas) and is generally beloved by the populace. But he longs for the companionship of his former best friend, Ned, and his beloved MJ—relationships he allowed himself to be deprived of when he encouraged Dr. Strange to cast a spell that would make everyone forget Peter. The consequences of that act form the framework of the film. One question that lingers, but is never actually asked, is whether Peter, if given the opportunity for a do-over, would make the same decision.

Spider-Man's crime-fighting expertise is challenged by the arrival of a teleporting entity who can jump from body to body, possessing anyone within a certain radius and extending the reach of their power by constantly moving. Spider-Man, who is undergoing some kind of mysterious mutation of his own DNA (causing him to develop a heightened Spidey-Sense and organic web-spinners), is immune to the enemy's psionic abilities, but that only makes him more of a target.

As I mentioned earlier, the hangout portions of the film are its strongest asset. There's a painful sense of longing and loss when Peter finally contacts MJ after years of lurking. The chemistry between the two actors is evident but changed; there's something melancholy about their interactions, especially when Peter has to acknowledge that MJ has moved on in ways he has been unable to. Equally rewarding are the scenes between Peter and Frank, as these two rivals come to rely on and ultimately respect one another. This is Buddy Movie 101 stuff, but it works thanks to the strong performances by both Holland and Bernthal.

Unfortunately, the action movie staples mostly fail. Making Spider-Man nearly invulnerable negates the possibility of any tension, regardless of whether he's facing off against Scorpion (Michael Mando), Hulk, or some other super-powered entity. The choreography established by director Destin Daniel Cretton (who took over the project after Jon Watts exited) is clean and clear but somewhat boring. There's not a single action scene that feels unique or interesting. Those looking for a pulse-elevating jolt of adrenaline won't find it here. Everything in Brand New Day is strictly by-the-numbers. The red meat of the superhero genre is undercooked.

In the scenes between Peter, MJ, and Frank, there's a sense of what Brand New Day could have been with different priorities and a varied approach. There's no doubt that the movie is in desperate need of tightening up, but the strengths are still there—they just require the patience to endure a lot of narrative clutter that feels like it should be leading to something more substantial. Ultimately, this feels more like a placeholder than a fully realized motion picture.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (United States, 2026)