SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Earns Rave First Reactions and Reviews
I walked into Spider-Man: Brand New Day with ridiculously high expectations. After everything Spider-Man: No Way Home accomplished, I wasn't sure another solo Spider-Man movie could hit me the same way. I couldn't have been happier to be wrong.
This movie absolutely delivers. It's exciting, emotional, funny, surprisingly intense, and most importantly, it feels like a true Spider-Man story. It's the kind of movie that reminds you why Peter Parker has remained one of Marvel's greatest heroes for generations.
Apparently, I'm not alone in that opinion, because the first reactions from critics have been overwhelmingly positive.
The film is now officially Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 91%, and after seeing it myself, that score feels well deserved.
One thing that immediately stood out to me was how much more personal this story feels. Instead of trying to constantly outdo itself with bigger multiverse spectacle, Brand New Day pulls Peter Parker back to street level, where his greatest strength has always been.
That shift gives the movie room to breathe, letting its characters and emotional moments carry just as much weight as the action.
That's something Erik Davis from Fandango also picked up on in his reaction on X, where he praised director Destin Daniel Cretton's approach:
“That maturity extends beyond the story to the action, with Cretton crafting some of my favorite Spider-Man fight sequences of the Holland era.
“Part detective story, part psychological thriller, part buddy comedy (the Spider-Man/Punisher banter is so much fun), it stretches in exciting new directions before becoming a genuine love letter to the fans. When you see it, you’ll get it.”
The detective angle gives the movie a different energy than we've seen from Holland's Spider-Man before, and the psychological thriller elements add genuine tension throughout the story.
Then there's the Punisher. Without getting into spoilers, Peter and Frank Castle make an unexpectedly fantastic pairing. Their personalities clash in all the right ways, creating some hilarious exchanges while also forcing Peter to confront difficult questions about the kind of hero he wants to be.
Critic Wendy Lee Szany summed up her experience with a simple but effective review, writing she had “no notes” for “Brand New Day,” which delivered “top-tier action” and a few “tearjerker” moments.
The movie never forgets what Peter sacrificed at the end of No Way Home, and that loss hangs over nearly every decision he makes. Some scenes hit surprisingly hard.
Entertainment journalist Brandon Pope also loved what Cretton brought to the table, writing: “‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘ may be the most Marvel Marvel movie I’ve ever marveled.
“Destin Daniel Cretton honors beloved Spider-Man media — especially Raimi — to create something soulful + thrilling. Hulk, Punisher deliver. Big reveal lives up. The best of the Tom Holland Spidey series.”
There are definitely moments that longtime Spider-Man fans are going to appreciate. The movie wears its love for decades of Spider-Man storytelling on its sleeve without feeling like it's simply recycling old ideas. Instead, it builds something fresh while still honoring what came before.
Peter Howell also highlighted something I appreciated throughout the film, saying: “Brand New Day cut back on the “multiverse tedium to give us a grounded Spider-Man tale that’s back to the city roots of the comic book hero we knew and loved.”
He continued: “Tom Holland finally nails the sarcasm, angst and love hassles of Spidey/Peter Parker as Stan Lee first envisioned the character.
“The film negotiates the emotional landmines left by ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ five years ago while a seriously scary villain emerges in the person of a malevolent telepath. Solid support from Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo and ‘Stranger Things’ star Sadie Sink.”
I thought Holland gave one of his strongest performances as Peter Parker. There's a confidence to his performance that feels earned after everything the character has experienced.
He's still funny, still awkward, but there's a little more weight behind him now. It honestly feels like we're finally seeing the Spider-Man many fans have wanted from Holland since he first put on the suit.
Kevin Verma from Nexus Point echoed those thoughts, writing: “‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is exactly the refresher Marvel needed. Tom Holland has never been better and the Spidey-Punisher pairing is pure gold. Destin Daniel Cretton outdoes himself, but the script is the real superhero- thrilling, heartfelt and confidently character driven.”
The script gives every major character something meaningful to do, and the relationships are what make the movie work. The action is fantastic, but it's the quieter character moments that stuck with me after the credits rolled.
The story picks up four years after Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter living in a world where nobody remembers him following Doctor Strange's spell. He's protecting New York on his own, separated from MJ, played by Zendaya, and Ned, played by Jacob Batalon, while trying to figure out who Peter Parker is supposed to be now.
A dangerous new telepathic villain, played by Sadie Sink, enters the picture just as Peter's spider powers begin evolving in ways he doesn't fully understand. Add Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk into the mix, and you've got one of the most entertaining supporting casts we've seen in a Spider-Man movie.
Knowing what Holland has said about becoming more involved creatively makes a lot of sense after seeing the finished film. He wasn't simply showing up to act this time. He actively searched through fan discussions online to better understand what audiences wanted from Spider-Man's next chapter.
Holland previously explained: “What’s been really fun about this most recent movie is designing the suit and being a part of that process and understanding what we wanted to try and achieve,”
He also said: “I have been actively sifting through the internet and trying to best understand what it is that the fans want from a ‘Spider-Man’ movie, and that’s been my driving force in these pitch meetings.
“I think the producers, at times were like, absolutely sick of me, but I think it’s really important, because we make these movies for [the fans].”
This movie feels like it understands why people love Spider-Man in the first place. It delivers spectacular action, heartfelt character moments, genuine laughs, and some surprises that had my theater cheering.
It's exactly the direction I hoped Marvel would take Peter Parker after No Way Home, and I walked out of the theater with a huge smile on my face.
If you're a Spider-Man fan, I think you're going to have an awesome time with this one when Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31.