SPIDER-MAN : BRAND NEW DAY - Tuesday 4th August 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'SPIDER-MAN : BRAND NEW DAY' this week, and this American Superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and is the 38th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is the fourth instalment in the MCU 'Spider-Man' series following 'Spider-Man : Homecoming' in 2017, 'Spider-Man : Far From Home' in 2019 and 'Spider-Man : No Way Home' in 2021. These first three films, all starring Tom Holland as the web-slinging hero, grossed a total US$3.94B at the global Box Office off the back of combined production budgets of US$535M. This instalment is Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who made his feature film debut with 'I Am Not a Hipster' in 2012, and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Short Term 12' in 2013, 'The Glass Castle' in 2017, 'Just Mercy' in 2019, and 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' in 2021 - also an MCU offering. This film is part of the MCU's 'Phase Six' which began with 'The Fantastic Four : First Steps' released in mid-2025. 'Spider-Man : Brand New Day' had its Premiere in Los Angeles on 27th July and was released in the US, here in Australia and all major territories last week. The film has garnered generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed US$1.18B at the global Box Office off the back of a US$225M production budget becoming the second-highest opening weekend gross of all time worldwide, the highest opening weekend gross of all time in the USA and Canada, and the highest grossing film of 2026 to date. 

Following Dr. Stephen Strange's spell at the end of the last instalment - 'Spider-Man : No Way Home', the world has forgotten that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) exists. Four years later, Parker anonymously protects New York City but has deliberately distanced himself from those he used to know and love. This self imposed seclusion also extends to his former girlfriend Michelle 'MJ' Jones-Watson (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon). Later, while speaking on his mobile phone to NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colon-Zayas), Parker intercepts a message about a tank running amok through the city streets heading for the Department of Damage Control (DODC) building. The driver had been telepathically possessed, and the telepath is able to body hop from person to person to help Mac Gargan (aka Scorpion [Michael Mando]), an enhanced criminal Parker previously captured, to escape. Parker enquires with Yelena Belova (aka Black Widow [Florence Pugh]) at a city bathhouse she uses as her office, who tells him someone has repeatedly attacked the DODC in search of 'V-Max'. Parker questions DODC director Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) at his office, who claims to have no knowledge of this V-Max.

Parker meets with Ned and MJ, who have moved back to New York after graduating from MIT at a house warming party in MJ's apartment, but fail to recognise him. Parker returns home distressed, and wakes up the next morning with heightened senses and organic webs coming out of his wrists. He tracks down Gargan, now possessed by the telepath, who tries to break back into the DODC. The telepath mocks him, and Parker reacts with uncharacteristic violence, brutally beating Gargan and inadvertently injuring a responding Police Officer. 

Hoping to control his new mutations, Parker visits Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to enquire about the inhibitor device that uses siRNA to control his alter ego, the Hulk. On Banner's suggestion, Parker makes his own inhibitor to limit his powers, while also working on a second 'universal inhibitor' to suppress the telepath's abilities. Before Parker can finish, the telepath finds him and, after learning about MJ, possesses her and tricks Parker into revealing his true identity. 

After the telepath leaves MJ, Parker takes her to Frank Castle's (aka Punisher [Jon Bernthal]) hideout to keep her safe. With Castle's equipment and MJ's insight, Parker completes both inhibitors, and discovers that the telepath is named Jean Grey (Sadie Sink). When Jean attacks the DODC again, this time in person and using a possessed Hulk, Parker subdues her using his universal inhibitor, and turns her over to the DODC. Before losing consciousness, Jean mentions someone named Sara. 

Metzger claims that Sara is a recently deceased colleague Jean learned about while possessing his mind. When Parker returns to Castle's hideout, MJ confronts him with the letter she found but which he never delivered, that Parker had written for her and Ned to explain the spell that erased their memories. He explains himself and declares his love for MJ, but she responds that she does not know him and therefore does not love him. Despite this, she invites him to her apartment, where they and Ned spend time bonding.

After hearing MJ recount how she is unable to remember anything while being telepathically possessed, Parker realises that Metzger lied to him. He contacts Yelena, who learns from redacted DODC files that Sara (Olivia Booth-Ford) is Jean's sister, another telepath who was kidnapped by the DODC. Metzger meanwhile has begun experimenting on Jean's mind, as she realises 'V-Max' is the fading text on the label on the air conditioning vent above the holding cell, the last thing Sara saw before she died. Enraged, Jean psionically locks the area around her for a radius of about a mile from where she sits. 

Parker, who is still resistant to her abilities, enters the DODC to stop her. Jean rebuffs him and possesses a large group of the Hand ninjas, who have been working for the DODC. Initially overwhelmed, he removes his inhibitor and embraces his mutations, using his new abilities to defeat the Hand. Parker allows Jean to enter his mind, where she finds a memory of his aunt May (Marisa Tomei), who accepted his abilities and loved him for himself. Parker offers Jean understanding over her loss and shields her from Castle, who tries to shoot her from outside using a long range rifle, sustaining a near-fatal wound.

Parker wakes up in the hospital with Castle, who explains that Jean kept him alive while in critical condition. From his hospital bed he sees that the walls are adorned with get well soon wishes from his legion of fans, many of which have also gathered outside the hospital to catch a glimpse of their superhero. In the aftermath, a guilt-ridden Jean quietly leaves the city, Metzger disappears, and the DODC comes under investigation. Parker, placing fresh flowers beside his Aunt May's gravestone, vows he does not need to be alone to be Spider-Man. Seeing Ned again, he introduces himself using their old handshake, a gesture which Ned reciprocates and acknowledges his old friend simply saying 'Peter?' 

With 'Spider-Man : Brand New Day' Director Destin Daniel Cretton has delivered us a MCU instalment that doesn't feel as convoluted, over paced, chock full of otherworldly CGI or has many of us suffering from Superhero fatigue. Instead what we have here is a story of loneliness, isolation, emotion, charm, wit, energy, drive and the obligatory well executed action sequences that all add up to an enjoyable night at the movies. Tom Holland has matured and settled into the role in this his fourth outing as your friendly neighbourhood webslinger, who inhabits his character with conviction and who wears his heart well and truly on his sleeve. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon as returning MJ and Ned respectively all add an emotional depth to this film perhaps not seen in previous outings, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher adds a brutal and at times comedic interlude to the proceedings and Sadie Sink as Jean Grey the antagonist turned protagonist lands a grounded performance and I'm sure we'll see her again in future MCU offerings. Overall, its not surprising to see the Box Office receipts for this film or the largely positive critical press, and maybe, just maybe, this film will revitalise the recently flagging MCU.

'Spider-Man : Brand New Day' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.  

-Steve, at Odeon Online-