Spider-Man: Brand New Day May Do What None of The Other Tom Holland MCU Films Could

The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has shattered the record for single-day views, proving that millions of Marvel fans are still eager for Spider-Man movies. Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is taking fans into a new era of Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) life, years after high school, when he’s living a lonely young adult life, while dedicating most of his time and existence to being Spider-Man. And, from the look of things, being Spider-Man will keep Peter plenty busy.

In just the first trailer, Brand New Day has already revealed more Marvel characters than we’ve ever seen in one solo character film. The list includes The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), C-list Spider-Man baddies like The Scorpion (Michael Mando), Boomerang, Tarantula, and the Ninja organization known as The Hand. Then there are the characters we have yet to fully see, including Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink (who is looking increasingly like she is X-Men’s Jean Grey), Tramell Tillman (Severance), who is head of the superhuman policing agency Damage Control, and rock-skinned crime boss Tombstone (Black Lightning’s Marvin Jones III). Rumor has it that even Charlie Cox’s Daredevil could show up – so again, it’s looking like Brand New Day will be packed with Marvel characters.

So why don’t more fans seem worried?

Spider-Man Movies Never Got It (Completely) Right

Fans generally love Tom Holland’s trilogy of Spider-Man movies in the MCU, often referred to as the “Home Trilogy.” However, there has been one consistent criticism of the series, and that is the notion that they aren’t really films about Spider-Man, so much as they are MCU movies, featuring Spider-Man. The presence of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) dominated the first two films, which were ostensibly about Peter Parker stepping out of the shadow of Tony’s tutelage. The third film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, was a meta-narrative about the legacy of the Spider-Man movie franchise’s wild twists and turns, and the toll it’s exacted on its three stars (Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire).

What fans have wanted, but haven’t gotten, is a true Spider-Man movie experience that is like the comics: Namely, Peter Parker/Spider-Man patrolling his “friendly neighborhood” of NYC, running across all kinds of quirky B or C-list villains; occasionally having to handle a big boss-level threat (or calamitous event), while bumping into any number of other local heroes along the way. Silver Age Marvel Comics (particularly the 1970s and 1980s) helped cement Spider-Man as a perfect bridge between street-level vigilantes and big, world-saving superheroes, paving the way for the character to become the global brand (and merchandising cash-cow) that he is today. And yet, no iteration of Spider-Man films has tried to recreate that Silver Age formula, until now.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was very character-focused and always honored the tradition of Spider-Man’s villains being as Shakespearean in their complexity and tragic origin as the hero himself. That said, Sony’s legal limitations at the time of Raimi’s films (the early 2000s) prohibited the Spider-Man movies from including the larger sandbox of Marvel characters, organizations, and other staples that were regularly featured in Spider-Man comics.

That limited scope was even more apparent by the time of the 2010s, when The Amazing Spider-Man tried to reboot the film series in a world where the Marvel Cinematic Universe was fully established and on its way to billion-dollar greatness on the back of The Avengers (2012). Sony tried to build The Amazing Spider-Man franchise into an entire cinematic universe that would rival Marvel Studios – only to find out how much more fans preferred the MCU.

Brand New Day Can Start A Brand New Era

The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day seems like definitive proof that director Destin Daniel Cretton has finally brought all facets of Spider-Man’s comic book experience together into one film. The story is very much focused on Peter Parker (Tom Holland), now living a lonely young adult life in a world where everyone close to him is either dead (Aunt May) or has forgotten his existence (MJ, Ned). As Peter tries to adjust to a new work/life balance as Spider-Man, he also goes through a “maturation” as his powers start to mutate in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, the NYC streets are in tumultuous change as well (possibly due to events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2?), meaning Spider-Man has to constantly knock down minor villains like Tarantula, Boomerang, and Scorpion.

That story premise creates a much better framework for the MCU crossovers in the film. Vigilantes like The Punisher would logically be a problem for Spider-Man while he’s policing the streets, since Peter and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) have very different views on the use of lethal force. Peter’s mutation creates a logical pathway for him to seek counsel from Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who is an expert in good people struggling with werewolf-style transformations.

That very word, “mutation,” and the casting of Tramell Tillman (severance) as head of the mutant-hunting organization Damage Control (last seen in Wonder Man), also validates a lot of the rumors that Brand New Day will be a major bridge to the MCU reboot of the X-Men. Even Daredevil: Born Again characters and lore are rumored to be a part of this film.

If that doesn’t sound like a classic Silver Age Spider-Man comic experience, no film ever will. And fans seem to know the difference. The typical online chants of “this film is too overcrowded!” or “Is this still even a Spider-Man film? LOL” have been far more muted this time. The record-breaking trailer views and overwhelmingly positive response to the vibe, look, and MCU connections of Cretton’s film all suggest fans were always just looking for this Marvel gumbo to be cooked up the right way, with all the necessary ingredients.

We’ll find out for sure when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st. Discuss your theories about the film with us on the ComicBook Forum!

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