[Review] "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is the end of the "Prologue"

Synopsis

At the end of the previous film, Peter Parker's existence was erased from the memories of everyone in the world. Several years later, Peter continues to be Spider-Man without being able to reveal his true identity, and a new enemy appears—this is the starting point of this film.

Conviction in the Title

I think all the Spider-Man films up until now were a "prologue." It was the story of a young man becoming a hero. Learning powers from someone, failing, losing loved ones, and still standing back up. It was the classic coming-of-age mold.
But "Brand New Day" comes to put an end to that mold. It wasn't a story about the process of becoming a hero, but a story about someone who is already a hero having to overcome something regardless.

I think the title "Brand New Day" isn't about the scale of his abilities or enemies, but a declaration to reset the life of the character Peter. The prologue is over, and the main chapter begins here. Thinking about that, I can't stop being excited.

Three Ways of Loneliness

What's amazing about this film is that it didn't reduce "loneliness" to a single answer.
Spider-Man, who fights to protect his loved ones while being lonely.
Jean, who became lonely because of her uniqueness.
The Punisher, who continues to uphold his convictions while having lost his loved ones.
Even though it's the same "loneliness," the causes, how they carry it, and what they choose from it are all different. It's not a simple equation where loneliness equals unhappiness; it depicts what each character has "lost" and what they are "still trying to protect" on different axes. By showing these three side-by-side, Spider-Man's loneliness isn't specially glorified or consumed as a tragedy, but is depicted as "loneliness as a result of choices."

The Humanity of the Punisher

The Punisher was depicted properly as a human, not just in terms of simple things like justice or judgment. As a Punisher fan, I was very happy about this.

I think vigilante characters tend to be leaned toward the "cool" side as "men who have crossed the line." But this time, I feel that the loss that led him to cross that line, the pain that never fades even after, and the personal code he sought while living with that pain were carefully depicted before the "crossed" part. By contrasting it with Spider-Man's value of "protecting his neighbors," it was good that the violence chosen by the Punisher was placed not as a simple villain move, but as another way of "upholding justice."

Jean Grey!?!

And, surprisingly, Jean Grey. I didn't expect the X-Men to connect here.
(It might seem like "Who?" to those who don't know, but for those who do, it's the ultimate surprise!!)
X-Men is a work that carries the theme of "being alienated from society because of being extraordinary," and it overlaps a lot with Jean and Peter in this film, who become lonely because of their uniqueness. Rather than just a fan-service cameo, it was a convergence properly connected to the film's theme.
Is Jean heading there on the bus at the end... I'm already looking forward to their reunion.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

At the root, it's still "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."
The series, which has gone through space-scale stories and the multiverse, has brought the scale back to "the person next to you" here. No matter how much the world expands or how big the opponents he fights become, the people he wants to protect are those within a few meters of him. This is a return to the origin, and at the same time, it's the answer to the title "Brand New Day." What's new isn't his abilities or his enemies, but the very way Peter exists now that he has returned to his roots.

In addition, there are plenty of performances that series fans will love, such as the appearance of Yelena, The Hand, and Hulk. (Personally, I'm dreaming of a team-up with Matt Murdock!)
This is what a Marvel movie is! It was the best film that I can truly say, "I've been waiting for this!"

Peter's new story begins here.
Overcoming loneliness, he continues to fight for the people next to him, just like Peter. That is Spider-Man's Brand New Day 🕷️❤️

🎬 Movie Information

Release Date: July 31, 2026 (Simultaneous release in Japan and the US)
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Screenplay: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo