'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' First Reactions: Tom Holland Has 'Never Been Better' in a Sequel That Ditches 'Multiverse Tedium' and Delivers a 'Grounded Spider-Man Tale'

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" had its glitzy world premiere at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on Monday night, and the first reactions flooding social media in its wake suggest Sony and Marvel have a genuine crowd-pleaser on their hands — with several critics calling it Tom Holland's finest outing as Peter Parker yet.

The Setup

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, "Brand New Day" is the fourth standalone Spider-Man film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 38th film in the MCU overall, picking up the story roughly five years after 2021's nearly $2 billion-grossing "Spider-Man: No Way Home." That film ended with all of Peter Parker's friends and loved ones — including Zendaya's MJ Jones-Watson and Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds — forgetting his existence entirely to stop a catastrophic multiverse breach. The new film welcomes MCU newcomers Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher and Sadie Sink, alongside returning players Michael Mando as Scorpion and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk.

A Grounded Reset

The dominant thread across early reactions is relief that the film pulls back from the multiverse-heavy storytelling that's defined recent Spider-Man and MCU projects. Film critic Peter Howell wrote that "Brand New Day" cut back on "multiverse tedium to give us a grounded Spider-Man tale that's back to the city roots of the comic book hero we knew and loved," adding that "Tom Holland finally nails the sarcasm, angst and love hassles of Spidey/Peter Parker as Stan Lee first envisioned the character." Producer Amy Pascal has separately explained that earlier films deliberately held back from fully immersing Spider-Man within New York City itself, and that "Brand New Day" was built specifically to show him interacting with the city in new ways.

Holland's Performance Draws Near-Universal Praise

Across nearly every published reaction, Holland's performance emerged as the film's standout element. Nerdtropolis' Sean Tajipour called it "his strongest and most complete Spider-Man performance yet." Esquire associate entertainment editor Eric Francisco wrote that the film has a "strong emotional center, blistering action, deeply sincere. Just excellent." Another reviewer described the experience of watching it as reducing them to tears, calling it "a massive movie that balances like 5 different through lines in equal measure, each better than the last."

Punisher and Hulk Deliver

The film's supporting MCU additions also drew strong notices. One widely shared review described "Brand New Day" as "the most Marvel Marvel movie I've ever marveled," crediting Cretton with honoring beloved Spider-Man media — particularly Sam Raimi's earlier trilogy — while noting that "Hulk, Punisher deliver" and calling it "the best of the Tom Holland Spidey series." Entertainment reporter Jonathan Sim singled out the film's visual craft specifically, writing that "from a visual perspective, #SpiderManBrandNewDay is the BEST MCU #SpiderMan movie by a LONG SHOT," praising the cinematography and pointing out the film shares a colorist with "Drive," "12 Years a Slave," and "Euphoria."

Not Entirely Without Dissent

While the overall tenor of reactions skews strongly positive, some reviewers flagged genuine points of divergence. Areas of disagreement include the script, which some called "too busy"; the humor, which several noted has been dialed back compared to earlier entries; the degree of MCU interconnectivity woven into the story; and the ending, which had long been rumored to be divisive among test audiences. As one outlet cautioned, early reactions "always trend more positive than reviews," suggesting a fuller, more critical picture may emerge once formal reviews publish closer to release.

Sadie Sink's Breakout Moment

Beyond Holland, Sadie Sink's performance drew particular attention from multiple reactions, with one moviegoer declaring, "This is THE summer movie of the year! Tom Holland and Sadie Sink are incredible in this film!" Her role marks one of the more closely watched new additions to the Holland-era Spider-Man ensemble.

Building Internal Buzz

The positive reception echoes reported internal enthusiasm at the studio level. Producer Amy Pascal has previously said that she and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige stood up and cheered after watching an early director's cut — something she said had never happened to her before on a Spider-Man project. Earlier preview footage shown to fans in Shanghai during the film's global press tour was similarly well-received, with attendees describing the extended preview as "spectacular and emotionally affecting."

What's Next

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" opens in theaters July 31. With early reactions consistently praising Holland's performance and Cretton's grounded, back-to-basics direction, while flagging some divergence over pacing, humor, and the film's ending, full critical reviews are expected to offer a more complete picture as the wide release approaches.