One of the more common tropes in superhero movie franchises is to make tweaks to the costume in between installments, mixing up the main character’s look for the sequel. There are a few reasons why creative teams are interested in doing this. The most obvious, of course, is the new merchandising opportunities that become available, as the studio’s licensing partners can produce toys and collectibles featuring the new design. Sometimes, filmmakers go the extra mile and come up with a practical storytelling reason for why the hero has a different costume (i.e. Bruce Wayne wanting to turn his head in The Dark Knight). This summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day falls into that latter category because there’s a very personal motivation behind Spider-Man’s new costume.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In a behind-the-scenes featurette posted on Sony’s official YouTube channel, Tom Holland explained the thought process behind the new suit in Brand New Day. “We said, ‘What if we made a suit that was an homage to Tobey’s [Maguire] and Andrew’s [Garfield] designs, because now my Peter Parker has met those guys,” he said. “So, we kind of created a spider child of all three costumes. Everything had to fit into the world of Peter Parker, and we went back to that dumpster diver kid who’s retrofitting old tech.”
Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton continued, “The result of that is the suit, which I think is beautiful in its simplicity. The suit does have a bit of a tactile feel to it. We are embracing the folds, the wrinkles. When it moves, it’s actually material and you can see the human beneath the material.” Check out the video in the space below:
Brand New Day‘s Costume Is a Vital Part of the Film’s Story
It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the new Brand New Day costume. Marvel didn’t make a change here just for the sake of it so they could sell more toys. The costume is being used as a visual representation of how Peter Parker has changed since audiences last saw him in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Following Doctor Strange’s spell, the entire world has forgotten who Peter Parker is, so he no longer has access to all the Stark Industries tech he used throughout the Infinity Saga. This is why Holland specifically mentioned a “dumpster diving” element; Peter is on his own with extremely limited resources, so he’s making the most of whatever he can get his hands on. In the Brand New Day script, Cretton made a note emphasizing the importance of ensuring every piece of tech is something Peter could have designed or acquired on his own.
Another key selling point of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is its embracing of street-level storytelling, with Spider-Man teaming up with the Punisher for various stretches. Considering that approach, it makes sense for Cretton to go with a design that’s more “tactile” than the suits Peter wore in the Infinity Saga. Though Brand New Day features plenty of comic book elements like Savage Hulk and a villain who can control minds, the costume helps ground Peter as a character in reality, illustrating his current state. He’s no longer whisking away with the Avengers to go fight Thanos on Titan. He’s just a friendly neighborhood hero trying to get by.
It’s also nice to see Holland continue to point out the influence Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield had on the Brand New Day suit. Meeting his variants and saving a whole group of super villains with them in No Way Home was a life-changing experience for “Peter 1,” leaving a tremendous impact. It makes a lot of sense that he’d look to emulate them in his new costume design. He’s doing his best to carry their legacy forward by being the protector his reality needs. Since Brand New Day is unlikely to feature appearances from Peter 2 and Peter 3, their presence can still be felt in spirit whenever Holland’s Peter is swinging around New York.
It’s very important that viewers are able to “see the human beneath the material,” as Cretton says. Brand New Day tells a very personal story about Peter, doing a deep dive into his psyche while his body goes through changes with his mutating DNA. Brand New Day finds Peter living an extremely isolated existence, which has a negative toll on his mental health. Holland has teased that the film is about relearning the importance of making connections, so there’s an emotional, human narrative being told that’ll only be amplified by the new costume.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
More Movies
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel
