Critics are calling the fourth Holland-led Spidey film emotionally satisfying and visually stunning, even if it runs a little long and gets a bit crowded.
The first wave of reviews for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has swung in ahead of its July 31 release, and the reaction is largely a win. Critics are rallying behind director Destin Daniel Cretton’s grounded, more mature take on the web-slinger, with many singling out Tom Holland for delivering his best performance as Peter Parker yet.
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| First Reviews for 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Praise Tom Holland's Most Mature Outing Yet |
A Darker, Lonelier Spider-Man
Picking up four years after No Way Home, Brand New Day finds Peter living in near-total isolation. Having erased himself from the memories of everyone he loves—including MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon)—he’s now a full-time, street-level crimefighter struggling with intense loneliness while protecting a city that knows his superhero alter-ego, but has completely forgotten the boy behind the mask.
Reviewers have embraced this darker, introspective turn. William Bibbiani over at TheWrap called it "one of the highlights of the whole franchise," while Inverse’s Hoai-Tran Bui praised it as "an emotionally stirring, dynamically directed Spider-Man movie that gives us the Spidey we want." Alexander Zalben of Comic Book Club went a step further, comparing it to Sam Raimi’s classic 2004 sequel: "the most purely Spider-Man movie since, perhaps, Raimi's Spider-Man 2."
Holland’s Finest Hour
The most consistent thread in early reviews is Holland's growth as an actor. Now 30, he’s earning raves for a performance that feels deeper, quieter, and far more physically committed. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney summed it up neatly: "Never better." David Ehrlich at IndieWire agreed, noting Holland "delivers his most nuanced and mature Spider-Man performance to date," while The Cinematic Reel’s David Gonzalez praised it as his "most grounded and emotionally resonant" turn yet.
Outstanding Supporting Turns
Holland carries the heavy emotional weight, but a few co-stars steal the show along the way. Jon Bernthal’s return as Frank Castle / The Punisher is a major crowd-pleaser, with critics calling his screen time with Holland "pure pleasure" and "comedy gold." As TheWrap put it, Bernthal makes for "a perfect foil."
Sadie Sink’s role is still largely under wraps to keep spoilers at bay, but her performance is already drawing high praise. Comic Book Club described her work as "deeply felt" and "a big jump from even her lauded turn in Stranger Things."
Meanwhile, the original trio of Holland, Zendaya, and Batalon still brings plenty of heart, even as the narrative keeps them emotionally separated. The Cinematic Reel noted that they deliver "some of their finest work together yet, proving once again why they're among the MCU's most endearing ensembles."
Gorgeous Visuals and High-Octane Action
Cretton’s direction and Brett Pawlak’s cinematography are being celebrated as a massive step up for the MCU. Mike Ryan of The Hard Pass called it "the best-looking superhero movie in quite a long time," while The Cinematic Reel gave Pawlak credit for crafting "one of the MCU's best-looking films in years."
The set pieces—including a ninja fight against The Hand and a brutal rumble involving Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk—are drawing praise for using real wire-work and practical choreography rather than feeling like pure CGI. It’s a kinetic style that echoes Cretton’s previous work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The Flaws: Runtime and Plot Clutter
The film isn't without its detractors, though. Owen Gleiberman at Variety found the 2-hour-and-25-minute runtime "arduous, overly episodic and half an hour too long," feeling the movie was "watchable without ever being transporting."
A few critics felt the script tries to juggle too much at once—balancing new MCU setups, complex villain backstories, and Peter’s personal journey. Ehrlich noted frustration with how often MJ and Ned get sidelined for "hopelessly rote" villain lore, while Bibbiani quipped, "on the car ride home, you realize the villain's plan makes no sense."
The Verdict
Ultimately, Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like the grounded, character-focused reset fans wanted after the multiverse chaos of No Way Home. Backed by Holland’s best work yet, a standout turn from Bernthal, and some of the cleanest action the MCU has put on screen in years, it’s set to be a summer highlight—as long as you don't mind a slightly bloated runtime and a few extra plot threads.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters July 31, 2026.
