Five years is a long time to wait for a Spider-Man movie, but the wait is finally over. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is in theaters now, marks Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing as Peter Parker, and his first since 2021’s No Way Home.
The Marvel blockbuster reunites Holland with Zendaya, his real-life wife and The Odyssey costar. Stranger Things actor Sadie Sink and The Bear‘s Liza Colón-Zayas join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), while Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, for the first time in four years.
Expectations are high after No Way Home became one of Marvel’s biggest box office successes, grossing almost $2 billion worldwide. It was also a critical hit, earning a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes from 429 reviews. Audiences have been even more enthusiastic. Brand New Day holds a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it drew record crowds, posting the biggest preview night in box-office history and tracking toward one of the largest opening weekends ever.
Now that Brand New Day is on the big screen, critics have weighed in on whether Marvel has delivered a worthy follow-up.
What is ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ about?
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🎭 Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink
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🍅 Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score: 91%
Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up five years after the events of No Way Home, when Parker sacrificed his identity so the world would forget he ever existed.
Living alone in New York, Parker throws himself into life as Spider-Man while struggling to move on from those he has lost, including his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon).
But his attempt at a fresh start is short-lived as he is pulled into a new conflict involving the Department of Damage Control, the government agency responsible for dealing with the aftermath of superhero battles.
Along the way, he teams up with antihero Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), and crosses paths with Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), as he faces a host of powerful new threats.
What critics liked
Critics largely agreed thatBrand New Day is one of the strongest Spider-Man films in years, with particular praise for Holland’s performance.
The Independent called it “flat out the best Spider-Man film” since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, which was released 22 years ago. Similarly, the Telegraph argued it was “the most purely enjoyable” installment since then, and Polygon said it “meets or maybe even surpasses the extremely high bar” set by Raimi’s first two Spider-Man movies.
The Daily Beast felt Brand New Day was the character’s “best film to date,” with the possible exception of Spider-Man 2, while Collider said that “as far as live-action takes on the iconic web-slinger are concerned, this is the best Spider-Man movie in 20 years.”
USA Today described Brand New Day as Holland’s “grown-up Spider-Man movie” and called it his “most emotionally gripping work ever,” while IndieWire said it was his “most nuanced and mature Spider-Man performance to date.”
Many reviewers welcomed the sequel’s move away from the multiverse adventures of No Way Home. The New York Post called it “a necessary restart of the series,” and the Hollywood Reporter praised its renewed focus on Parker’s emotional journey instead of “banging on about the damn multiverse.”
Critics also praised the film’s emotional storytelling and action. Polygon said Brand New Day “raises the quality level in almost every way” with “smarter storytelling and a more satisfying payoff.” Gizmodo hailed it as “an awesome movie with a huge heart,” and TheWrap said viewers would be “swept up in the characters and the action.”
Supporting performances also drew praise. Collider described Bernthal as “an absolute scene-stealer” and said Sadie Sink is “every bit the powerhouse” fans were hoping for. The Guardian, meanwhile, said Zendaya’s performance as MJ “saves” the movie.
What critics didn’t like
Several reviewers took issue with the movie’s tone, pacing and sprawling plot, with Yahoo’s Brett Arnold branding it a “self-serious slog” devoid of ” decent storytelling and stakes.” He also criticized the “blatant” product placement and Bernthal’s “very silly” take on the Punisher.
Meanwhile, IndieWire called Brand New Day “a dull and downbeat sequel” that “wastes its chance for a fresh start,” arguing it tries to juggle too many ideas at once while doing little to move Parker’s story forward.
The Guardian claimed Brand New Day never escapes the franchise’s familiar formula, saying it falls into “generic deja vu overfamiliarity” and concluding that “a more radical reboot is needed.”
Variety felt the film was “arduous” and overly “busy and self-serious,” despite praising some of its action scenes. The publication also argued that the 145-minute runtime is excessive, saying 30 minutes could have been cut.
Rolling Stone said the blockbuster offers “nothing new” and gets “tangled in a complicated web of its own making.” Critic David Fear was especially unimpressed by the movie’s “big twist,” which he said “cynically reeks of not just of fan service but of blatant stage-setting.”
Is ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ worth watching?
If you’ve been debating whether Brand New Day is worth seeing on the big screen, the reviews make a strong case for it. The Marvel sequel currently holds a 91% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 266 reviews, making it one of the best-reviewed MCU films in years.
Those expecting another No Way Home-style multiverse spectacle may find Brand New Day a more restrained affair. But for fans who have been waiting five years to see where Parker’s story goes next, the critical consensus suggests Marvel has delivered a sequel that’s well worth the wait.
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