I’m going to level with you – the only reason I initially wanted to see “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” last week was to see how Peter Parker and Frank Castle interacted beyond the limited scope provided by the trailer.
And, honestly, I feel like that was the best big-screen collaboration between these two Marvel Characters so far.
In fact, it was the highlight of my entire experience last week and I wish that it had been the central storyline for the flick rather than hinging the feature to get audiences prepared for December’s “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Day is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man.
Produced by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, and Pascal Pictures, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is the 38th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the fourth film in the MCU Spider-Man film series following Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
The film was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Tom Holland stars alongside Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo.
The movie clocks in at 145 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language.
Following Dr. Stephen Strange’s spell, the world has forgotten that Peter Parker (Holland) has ever existed and four years later, Parker continues anonymously protecting New York City as its celebrated hero Spider-Man.
But, he has distanced himself from those he used to know.
Sadly that also includes his ex-girlfriend Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson (Zendaya) and former best friend Ned Leeds (Batalon).
Despite the Punisher’s (Bernthal) attempts to interfere, Parker intervenes when a tank rampages through the city and breaks into a Department of Damage Control (DODC) building.
It’s revealed that the driver had been telepathically possessed, and the telepath body hops from person to person to help Mac Gargan (Mando) - an enhanced criminal known as “Scorpion” that Parker previously captured - escape.
Curious as to the telepath’s motivation, Parker questions Yelena Belova (Pugh), who tells him someone has repeatedly attacked the DODC in search of “V-Max”.
Parker questions DODC Director Bill Metzger (Tillman), who claims ignorance and asks for Spider-Man’s help in dealing with the telepath.
Parker encounters Ned and MJ, who have moved back to New York after graduating from MIT and do not recognize him.
Parker returns home in distress, and wakes up the next morning with heightened senses and organic webs coming out of his wrists.
He tracks down the now telepathically possessed Gargan while he tries to break back into the DODC.
The telepath mocks him, and Parker reacts with uncharacteristic violence, brutally beating Gargan and inadvertently injuring a responding police officer.
Hoping to control his new mutations, Parker goes to Dr. Bruce Banner (Ruffalo) to ask about the inhibitor device that uses siRNA to suppress his alter ego, the Hulk.
On Banner’s advice, Parker makes his own inhibitor to limit his powers, while also working on a second to suppress the telepath’s abilities.
Before Parker can finish, the telepath finds him and, after learning about MJ, possesses her and tricks Parker into revealing his face.
Parker concedes defeat after narrowly saving MJ, though he sees the telepath directly.
Parker takes MJ to Castle’s hideout to keep her safe.
With Castle’s equipment and MJ’s insight, Parker completes both inhibitors, and discovers that the telepath is named Jean Grey (Sink).
Naturally, from there, things get harder for Parker as he continues to internally agonize over whether to be just himself or continue as Spider-Man.
Overall, the movie shows growth for pretty much every character involved and is a halfway decent stepping stone towards “Avengers: Doomsday” but Castle and Parker’s friendship is the icing on the cake from me – why not check it out for yourself?
