Spider-Man: Brand New Day first reviews call Tom Holland's film a Marvel reset
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first reviews are in, and critics are calling it the much-needed Marvel reset fans have been waiting for. From Tom Holland's best performance yet to a grounded, emotional story, here's why the film is winning over reviewers.
Marvel may finally have found the reset it needed.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Monday night, and the first reactions from critics suggest the studio's latest outing has struck a chord. Rather than leaning into multiversal spectacle, reviewers have praised the film for bringing Peter Parker back to his emotional roots: lonelier, more vulnerable and more human than ever before.
The early consensus is strikingly consistent. Critics have described the film as a grounded, character-driven Spider-Man story that prioritises emotion over excess, with many calling it Tom Holland's strongest performance as Peter Parker to date.
Film critic Zach Pope called the film exactly what he had hoped for, describing it as "a tragic yet poetic odyssey about what it truly means to feel alone." While acknowledging the emotional weight of the story, he also praised its balance, saying it remains "an endlessly entertaining Spider-Man adventure that never feels overstuffed." According to Pope, every major character serves Peter Parker's emotional journey, making the narrative feel purposeful throughout.
For New Rockstars host Erik Voss, the biggest takeaway was the film's visual ambition. He called it "the best looking Spider-Man film since the Raimi era," applauding its cinematography, visual effects and action choreography. Voss singled out the Hulk sequence as his favourite Marvel action set-piece in years, while also praising Sadie Sink's performance, saying he "can't wait to see more of her in the MCU."
Entertainment writer Mike Ryan believes Brand New Day succeeds precisely because it doesn't try to recreate the spectacle of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Instead, he described it as "a much more cerebral follow-up" and went as far as calling it the best Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. He also hailed it as Tom Holland's finest performance as Peter Parker.
Veteran film critic Peter Howell welcomed the film's departure from Marvel's recent multiverse-heavy storytelling. He wrote that the studio "dials back the multiverse tedium for a grounded Spider-Man tale," adding that Holland finally captures "the sarcasm, angst and love hassles of Spidey/Peter Parker as Stan Lee first envisioned the character." His only criticism was the film's 145-minute runtime, which he felt was stretched further by an unnecessary post-credits scene.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo echoed the emotional response many critics had to the film. While noting that it juggles multiple storylines simultaneously, he felt they ultimately come together beautifully. Calling it "a massive movie," Lussier added that despite occasionally feeling overwhelming, the emotional payoff makes the journey worthwhile.
Taken together, the first reactions paint a clear picture. Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears less interested in saving the multiverse and more invested in saving Peter Parker himself. For many critics, that shift is exactly what Marvel - and Spider-Man - needed.
The film releases in India on July 30 and internationally on July 31. Alongside Tom Holland, the cast includes Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal and Michael Mando. Industry projections suggest the film could comfortably cross USD 800 million worldwide during its opening week.
Marvel may finally have found the reset it needed.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Monday night, and the first reactions from critics suggest the studio's latest outing has struck a chord. Rather than leaning into multiversal spectacle, reviewers have praised the film for bringing Peter Parker back to his emotional roots: lonelier, more vulnerable and more human than ever before.
The early consensus is strikingly consistent. Critics have described the film as a grounded, character-driven Spider-Man story that prioritises emotion over excess, with many calling it Tom Holland's strongest performance as Peter Parker to date.
Film critic Zach Pope called the film exactly what he had hoped for, describing it as "a tragic yet poetic odyssey about what it truly means to feel alone." While acknowledging the emotional weight of the story, he also praised its balance, saying it remains "an endlessly entertaining Spider-Man adventure that never feels overstuffed." According to Pope, every major character serves Peter Parker's emotional journey, making the narrative feel purposeful throughout.
For New Rockstars host Erik Voss, the biggest takeaway was the film's visual ambition. He called it "the best looking Spider-Man film since the Raimi era," applauding its cinematography, visual effects and action choreography. Voss singled out the Hulk sequence as his favourite Marvel action set-piece in years, while also praising Sadie Sink's performance, saying he "can't wait to see more of her in the MCU."
Entertainment writer Mike Ryan believes Brand New Day succeeds precisely because it doesn't try to recreate the spectacle of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Instead, he described it as "a much more cerebral follow-up" and went as far as calling it the best Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. He also hailed it as Tom Holland's finest performance as Peter Parker.
Veteran film critic Peter Howell welcomed the film's departure from Marvel's recent multiverse-heavy storytelling. He wrote that the studio "dials back the multiverse tedium for a grounded Spider-Man tale," adding that Holland finally captures "the sarcasm, angst and love hassles of Spidey/Peter Parker as Stan Lee first envisioned the character." His only criticism was the film's 145-minute runtime, which he felt was stretched further by an unnecessary post-credits scene.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo echoed the emotional response many critics had to the film. While noting that it juggles multiple storylines simultaneously, he felt they ultimately come together beautifully. Calling it "a massive movie," Lussier added that despite occasionally feeling overwhelming, the emotional payoff makes the journey worthwhile.
Taken together, the first reactions paint a clear picture. Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears less interested in saving the multiverse and more invested in saving Peter Parker himself. For many critics, that shift is exactly what Marvel - and Spider-Man - needed.
The film releases in India on July 30 and internationally on July 31. Alongside Tom Holland, the cast includes Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal and Michael Mando. Industry projections suggest the film could comfortably cross USD 800 million worldwide during its opening week.
Marvel may finally have found the reset it needed.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Monday night, and the first reactions from critics suggest the studio's latest outing has struck a chord. Rather than leaning into multiversal spectacle, reviewers have praised the film for bringing Peter Parker back to his emotional roots: lonelier, more vulnerable and more human than ever before.
The early consensus is strikingly consistent. Critics have described the film as a grounded, character-driven Spider-Man story that prioritises emotion over excess, with many calling it Tom Holland's strongest performance as Peter Parker to date.
Film critic Zach Pope called the film exactly what he had hoped for, describing it as "a tragic yet poetic odyssey about what it truly means to feel alone." While acknowledging the emotional weight of the story, he also praised its balance, saying it remains "an endlessly entertaining Spider-Man adventure that never feels overstuffed." According to Pope, every major character serves Peter Parker's emotional journey, making the narrative feel purposeful throughout.
For New Rockstars host Erik Voss, the biggest takeaway was the film's visual ambition. He called it "the best looking Spider-Man film since the Raimi era," applauding its cinematography, visual effects and action choreography. Voss singled out the Hulk sequence as his favourite Marvel action set-piece in years, while also praising Sadie Sink's performance, saying he "can't wait to see more of her in the MCU."
Entertainment writer Mike Ryan believes Brand New Day succeeds precisely because it doesn't try to recreate the spectacle of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Instead, he described it as "a much more cerebral follow-up" and went as far as calling it the best Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. He also hailed it as Tom Holland's finest performance as Peter Parker.
Veteran film critic Peter Howell welcomed the film's departure from Marvel's recent multiverse-heavy storytelling. He wrote that the studio "dials back the multiverse tedium for a grounded Spider-Man tale," adding that Holland finally captures "the sarcasm, angst and love hassles of Spidey/Peter Parker as Stan Lee first envisioned the character." His only criticism was the film's 145-minute runtime, which he felt was stretched further by an unnecessary post-credits scene.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo echoed the emotional response many critics had to the film. While noting that it juggles multiple storylines simultaneously, he felt they ultimately come together beautifully. Calling it "a massive movie," Lussier added that despite occasionally feeling overwhelming, the emotional payoff makes the journey worthwhile.
Taken together, the first reactions paint a clear picture. Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears less interested in saving the multiverse and more invested in saving Peter Parker himself. For many critics, that shift is exactly what Marvel - and Spider-Man - needed.
The film releases in India on July 30 and internationally on July 31. Alongside Tom Holland, the cast includes Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal and Michael Mando. Industry projections suggest the film could comfortably cross USD 800 million worldwide during its opening week.
