Even though Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) has wiped everyone’s memory of Peter Parker (Tom Holland), the responsibility of being Spider-Man hasn’t disappeared the same. Now, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a new threat has emerged that will force the friendly neighborhood webslinger to meet new and familiar faces.

Without doubt, Brand New Day is one of my most anticipated films of 2026. Personally, I love the street-level side of the MCU, and having Destin Daniel Cretton — whose Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings (2021) was an enjoyable street-level, globe-trotting adventure in the MCU — in the directing chair was a great choice.  Heading in, the excitement was through the roof, though there was caution. Cretton has to achieve a well-choreographed balancing act here, forced to involve major players inside and outside of Spider-Man’s immediate orbit.

The cast for Brand New Day is big, including Punisher/Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), MJ (Zendaya), Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), and newcomer Tramell Tillman as the Director of Damage Control,  Bill Metzger. Also along for the ride is a familiar avenging face in Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), the long-awaited Scorpion/Mac Gargan (Michael Mando), and Sadie Sink as a mysterious character that I won’t name. Despite all these cooks in the kitchen, Cretton can achieve a sense of smoothness.

ThisSpider-Man feels like the most “friendly neighborhood” hero we’ve seen yet in the MCU, yet those moments of spectacle are sprinkled in throughout. New York City and Spider-Man are intertwined more than they have ever been before in the MCU. Brand New Day works because Cretton understands that, famously, Peter has that ‘Parker Luck’ where he will defeat everything from C-list villains to Avengers-level threats. The love that Peter has for his city shines through, and his city loves Spider-Man just the same.

Peter himself, though, does not have that same level of belief in himself. Throughout the film, he questions: Should I be Peter or Spider-Man? Peter views the end of No Way Home as a failure on his part, even if it was all done to try and protect his loved ones. But we see that Ned and MJ both feel that something is missing in their lives. The curiosity and love they feel but can’t necessarily understand are a reminder of the stability of true connection. It’s all driven home when a certain character appears in a flashback to give Peter that reminder.

This is not the first MCU film to have a stark vulnerability, as Thunderbolts* (2025) has a team full of characters with regret and loneliness. But what Marvel is perhaps realizing is that you need vulnerability in these characters so they aren’t out of reach. It’s what makes the characters human — even Spider-Man needs a hand over the shoulder.

I also have to mention some of the great action sequences, at times feeling very inspired by the video game from Insomniac, Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018). The fight with The Hulk is a great moment of Peter thinking on the fly, and it’s hilarious seeing Frank realize that this is above his pay grade. The practical web swinging, too, is great; there’s a thrilling freedom to it.

Holland brings a maturity to Peter here, a Peter who, by the end, knows who he is and not to judge a book by its cover. The dynamic with Bernthal and Holland worked a lot more than expected, the equivalent of two brothers bickering back and forth.

And while I won’t spoil Sink’s identity here, her performance is especially menacing. She chips away at Peter, but she is sympathetic, too. Going forward, it’s obvious she will be a key player in the MCU.

Zendaya still has that great chemistry with Tom, and she instills MJ with a brute determination and curiosity. Batalon is fun as Ned, a complete nerd who would be the chillest guy to hang with. I also want to mention a performance that could go under the radar: Lisa Colón-Zayas as Detective Jean DeWolf. I always appreciate the detective-and-superhero “get-on-very-well” dynamic.

If Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the start of Cretton at the helm, then it is a really exciting start that captures the web crawler’s love for his city, showing how his own doubt plays with his unflinching willingness to keep on going — even when the odds seem extraordinary.

Review Courtesy of Matthew Allan

Feature Image Credit to Sony Pictures