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Spider-Man: Brand New Day wasn't exactly what I was expecting... it was so much more.
As someone who’s been a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) Spider-Man since the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, I was excited to see what this fourth entry in the series would have to offer.
Brand New Day shows off a very distinct style change from the prior three films in the series. This can partially be attributed to the change in director from Jon Watts to Destin Daniel Cretton. The coloring in Brand New Day is blue and moody in comparison to the bright saturation of the former films.
This color shift matches the shift in tone that comes with Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) arc in this film. After losing everyone he knows and loves to a memory-wiping spell that erases him, Peter decides to forgo his life as Peter Parker to go all in on being Spider-Man. This decision leads to him becoming beloved by the people of New York at the cost of his sense of self and well-being.
This darker tone was unexpected but welcome in a Spider-Man film. It’s common to experience a sort of identity crisis upon graduating from high school, and it’s nice to see that represented in a superhero.
Notably, Peter avoids saying his own name during the first half of the film, instead using names of the people he’s lost in their place. This shows an internal disgust Peter seems to have towards himself as he blames himself for the death of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei).
This disgust also appears in his new mutation that is caused by his spider powers. At one point, the main antagonist, Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) torments Peter by calling his new transformation monstrous. Peter himself seems to silently agree with this statement as he works to create a microchip that has the ability to shut off these new powers.
However, this shunning of himself only leads to emotional turmoil, which causes him to lose control of himself while working as Spider-Man.
Peter is only able to gain control of these new abilities when he stops seeing himself as a monster. To achieve this, he has to reconnect with his friends and allow others to get to know him personally.
As I predicted in a previous article, Peter reveals his identity to his old friends, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya). This reveal, in my opinion, fixes an issue some feminists had with the prior film, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
These fans argued that Peter’s choice to not tell MJ about the memory spell took away her agency, especially since she specifically asked him to reveal himself. When MJ finds a letter from Peter that reveals the truth, she is understandably frustrated that Peter would keep this information from her, telling him that it wasn’t his choice to make.
While I had been rooting for Peter and MJ to get back together, I was surprised to find that this ending, where MJ reveals that she doesn't feel any love for Peter, is more satisfying. It reminds us that love is not a matter of whether someone has earned or deserves it; it is exclusively a matter of enthusiastic consent between both parties.
It is more satisfying and tear-jerking to find that in the end, Ned, deep down, still remembers Peter. Ned was always a fun part of the previous films, and the pair have been shown to have a deep friendship. Ned’s obsession with finding Spider-Man’s identity foreshadows the final scene of the film, where he only needs to complete his iconic handshake with Peter in order to remember his best friend.
Ned’s devotion not only shows that friendship can be as meaningful and deep as romantic love, but also gives Peter the push he needs to realize that he isn’t the monster he’s made himself out to be. It’s the push he needs to fight damage control and save Jean.
The most impactful scene, in my opinion, is the moment where Peter, after almost dying while sacrificing himself to save Jean, leaves the hospital to find a crowd gathered outside to pray for his survival. While they actually end up cheering for Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) dressed up as Spider-Man (Peter still needs to keep his identity a secret, after all), it is beautiful to see Peter walk through the crowd of people dressed in his costume. It reminds him that his love and compassion for the city have paid off.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has a lot to offer all Spider-Man fans. The action is spectacular, the plot is somewhat mysterious, and the emotional arc is heartwarming. Sure, there are a lot of plot threads to follow, but this film certainly feels like a brand new day for Spider-Man.
