Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review – Punisher Steals the Show

It’s officially here, the 38^th film instalment in the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks so many milestones for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and the MCU at large. A decade has passed since the (now) 30-year-old Holland stepped into the shoes of the titular character when he joined the team in Captain America: Civil War in 2016. I still recall the cheer in the cinema as Spider-Man swung onto the screen as a fresh-faced Peter Parker in somewhat of a more naive perspective on life. Ten years is a long stint for any superhero, with the expectation of growth and maturity from the character during this period – and that’s exactly what we get with Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

A Crowded Cast, Old Flames, and One Big Mystery

Brand New Day runs roughly two hours and 25 minutes, which makes it one of the franchise’s longest, just behind No Way Home. And this time it’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton who takes the reins.

The latest film also marks the fourth in the MCU Spider-Man franchise. The term “standalone” can’t really be used within the MCU, with many characters and crossovers almost a given in any of the films in this universe. And that’s again what we get here. These films rarely give a leading character room to shine on their own. And after the events of Endgame, fans are always left asking questions like “where is X and Y from the Avengers when all this is happening?” It’s hard to force these standalone films as a result. But not only does Brand New Day handle this well with the inclusion of Frank Castle / Punisher (Jon Bernthal) as more than just a side character, it also kicks off another chapter of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, albeit in a much more limited capacity.

One of the biggest worries in Spider-Man: Brand New Day was the ongoing relationship between Peter Parker and his (former) love interest and friend, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalo) after the events following Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). However, without giving too much away, the reintroduction of these characters adds more mature themes to the film than in the previous three. While there are still moments of cringe, it’s not the same dynamic we’ve become accustomed to.

It’s hard to tiptoe around the inclusion of Sadie Sink and her role in the film. Many would’ve already heard the rumours of her casting in the MCU, even before she was associated with the Spider-Man film. Without giving away too much, she’s amazing in her role here, with her character causing havoc as her reveal and motives were kept under wraps, within the film and in the accompanying marketing of the film.

How Punisher Elevates Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Many fans wanted Peter and MJ back together – but it’s the unlikely Peter-Frank bromance that shines brightest. The Spidey-Punisher relationship, banter and everything else in between provides a lot of comedy relief and also delivers on more grounding elements of relationships and loss as a whole. It works great.

Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle is no cameo. His casting was teased months before release, and Bernthal brings a no-mercy moral code Peter has never confronted directly across Homecoming, Far From Home, or No Way Home – the sharpest supporting turn of the Holland era. Where past MCU antagonists were simply obstacles to punch through, Castle forces Peter to actively justify his own code, and that tension gives Brand New Day real stakes.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Deeper Themes

There are plenty of underlying themes in the film. It touches on how individuals deal with loss while also addressing the duality of humans in some aspects. It can be interpreted that not everyone who’s a “bad guy” is always bad, and the “good guys” aren’t always right, both in how they deal with specific situations but also in their moral standing. We already know that Peter Parker has lost many in his journey to this point, with the loss of Aunt May affecting him the most, driving many of his actions throughout the film and his interactions and choices in regard to the relationships he has/had. It may come across as a deus ex machina in specific moments in the film, but it’s not forced or out of the blue.

The good guy / bad guy theme of most superhero films is very black and white. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the lines are blurred in many ways. This goes beyond specific individuals, but also whole agencies meant to protect humanity aren’t always morally good, using whatever means necessary to ensure the safety of citizens, but overstepping in more ways than one.

For fans of the Spider-Man franchise, there are plenty of easter eggs, homages, callbacks and references, as well as inspirations from different source material. We see the events play out from the comics, but we also get elements from Sony’s Spider-Man videogame franchise and more.

The Verdict on Brand New Day

Unlike previous films in the MCU where we’re met with mindless action and convoluted and intertwined stories without much reasoning, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits home in more ways than one. Yes, there are many moving parts and characters in the film, but they all lean into the central themes and add value. There are one or two persons or groups that aren’t used to their full potential because of the packed cast, but they’re not completely wasted either. It’s not a flawless film (a few moments feel questionable), but it avoids the multiverse pitfalls that have plagued other MCU films since Endgame and No Way Home.

Although the film deals with a lot, there are still elements not fully realised, both in terms of being unresolved but also purposefully left for a future film. This includes Spider-Man’s evolution that was hinted at in the trailers. We see maturity in this sense as well, with the eventual acceptance; we don’t get full Cronenberg, which is fair. As a result, we know that there’s still a lot left on the table for Tom Holland and this iteration of Spider-Man – perhaps another decade in the making. Holland would be 40 by then, but live-action has yet to give us the mature Spider-Man that comics and animation have already explored.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a solid film, dealing with a lot more mature themes compared to previous films, without losing its comedic elements we love about the character. With a star-studded lineup, there’s a lot to be enjoyed, and with a lot more still left on the cards for your favourite web-slinger.

One Post-Credits Scene, No Spoilers

Stay through the credits. Brand New Day includes at least one scene pointing toward where Peter, and the MCU, head next.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in theaters now!