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27 Jul 26
Director Release Date |
Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal,Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo |
Certificate Running Time |
With the imminent arrival of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the story continues, with Tom Holland suiting up for his seventh appearance in the MCU as the friendly neighbourhood Spidey. We find Peter living on his own and keeping tabs on love MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). He's also fully leaning into his superhero responsibilities, battling new villains including Scorpion (Michael Mando), Tombstone (Marvin Jones III), and the ninja organisation The Hand.
But this marks an evolution for the web-slinging superhero, not least because Destin Daniel Cretton, of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings and Wonder Man fame, has taken over in the director's chair.The trailer confirms that Peter is experiencing a mutation of his DNA similar to that of the life cycles of a spider. "When between cycles," says the voiceover, "it can leave the spider vulnerable to threats… and for those spiders who make it through, it amounts to a kind of rebirth."
It's a telling set-up, one that neatly ties together the last 10 years of Holland's cinematic journey as Spider-Man. All spiders go through three life stages - egg, spiderling and adult - so Civil War to Homecoming could be considered Peter's 'egg' phase, as he takes baby steps into his new identity. Infinity War to No Way Home would be his 'spiderling' phase, as he expands his superhero life, but is still making juvenile decisions. Still, Peter grows in maturity through painful grief, loss and sacrifice, leading us to Brand New Day, and setting the stage for his ascent into adulthood.
Yet as the trailer reveals, this isn't going to be an easy transition. Peter is grappling with this new, vulnerable position between phases, where his powers are playing up, and his isolated, anonymous position means he has few friends to rely on. But he's not entirely alone; Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) pops in to guide his physical adjustment, while The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) is on hand to hopefully help more than hinder his heroic efforts to save the city again.
Holland says the film "is the most emotional movie we've ever made, and in some ways, the most grown-up", so maybe Brand New Day is more of a brand-new age for Spider-Man as a fully formed superhero.
Hanna Flint
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