Has the Tom Holland Spider-Man finally begun!? Movie Review: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Spoilers included)

Hello!

Ever since I saw the first MCU film, Iron Man, in theaters, I have followed every single entry up to Avengers: Endgame.

However, since Endgame, there have been more films that I personally couldn't get into, and I've gradually started slacking off on keeping up with the MCU.

Before I knew it, my passion for the MCU had cooled to the point where I'm not even sure if I can call myself an MCU fan anymore.

In the midst of that, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was released just before we head into Avengers: Doomsday.

If it's Spider-Man, I have no choice but to watch it!

So, I went to see it on the massive IMAX screen at Grand Cinema Sunshine in Ikebukuro, and I'd like to write down my thoughts.

・Has the MCU version of Spider-Man finally begun!?

After watching this film, the first thing I felt was,

“The MCU version of Spider-Man has finally begun.”

That is what I felt.

“Wait, this is already the fourth movie!” you might say (laughs).

However, for the first two films, Homecoming and Far From Home, the presence of Tony Stark was just too large for me personally.

Of course, Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, is the protagonist, but Tony was always involved in the crucial parts of the story.

And the third film, No Way Home, was, for better or worse, a complete festival movie.

Rather than digging deep into the Tom Holland version of Spider-Man, I think it was a film that gathered past Spider-Men and villains to say, “Let's just go all out and make a splash!”

However, the fourth film, Brand New Day, was different.

As the title suggests, it depicts the Tom Holland version of Spider-Man himself as he begins a new life.

Peter has already become an adult and is living as Spider-Man. That aspect is firmly depicted from the beginning, and he takes down various villains one after another just like in the comics.

Up until now, Peter has often fought against problems born from his relationships with the Avengers and Tony, or from his own actions.

However, in this film, he fights villains with whom Peter has no direct connection, simply as "Spider-Man, protector of the city."

I thought this feeling was incredibly good.

Especially in the first 20 minutes or so, it felt like I was riding the old Spider-Man attraction at USJ (lol).

Of course, since it's an MCU film, characters from other works appear, but I think it was structured in a way that you can fully enjoy it even if you don't know those characters in detail.

And above all,

“The Tom Holland Spider-Man has finally begun!”

Being able to think that was the most exciting point of this film for me.

・The enemy is, of all people!? (Major spoilers ahead)

What surprised me the most in this film was the identity of the main villain.

In the beginning, they had the ability to take over other people's consciousness, so I just thought, "That's a pretty troublesome enemy."

However, in the middle of the story, their true identity is revealed.

It's Jean Grey!!!

I was so surprised by this that I almost gasped out loud in the theater.

I thought, "So this is where the X-Men series characters get involved!"

And what's more, Jean Grey is cute (lol).

I was quite shocked, as I never expected Jean Grey, who will likely become an important figure in the MCU, to make her full-scale debut in the Spider-Man series.

It wasn't just a surprise regarding the villain of this film; it was a moment that instantly heightened my excitement for the future, wondering, "How will the MCU and X-Men connect from here?"

・Summary

This film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, was a work that made me feel thefuturein every way.

From the true beginning of the Tom Holland Spider-Man to the involvement with the X-Men revealed by the appearance of Jean Grey, it is packed with elements that make me look forward to future developments.

I personally love the X-Men series as well, so I am very much looking forward to seeing how it will intersect with the MCU from here on out.

And above all, I am excited to see how Peter Parker, having taken a step beyond the coming-of-age stories of the past, will grow as a hero, "Spider-Man".

I cannot help but have high expectations for that as well.

Since "Endgame," my passion for the MCU had been cooling off little by little.

After watching this film, for the first time in a while, I felt like I wanted to keep following the MCU from here on.

True to the title "Brand New Day," this film served as a "new day" for Spider-Man, and for me, to enjoy the MCU all over again.