Brand New Day Was Great, But Marvel Still Hasn't Done 1 Thing With Tom Holland's Spider-Man

Nov 16, 2026 - 02:20

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Published Nov 15, 2026, 5:15 PM EST

Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art.

As impeccable as Spider-Man: Brand New Day is, there’s still one thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t achieved with Tom Holland’s Web-Head. Tom Holland's Spider-Man has undergone one of the most interesting journeys in the MCU timeline. Introduced as an enthusiastic teenager desperate to prove himself, Peter Parker has gradually become a more experienced, emotionally complex crime fighter. His story has also been closely connected to some of the MCU's biggest events.

Holland's natural charisma, excellent comedic timing, and ability to convey Peter's insecurities have made him one of Marvel's most consistently entertaining leads. More importantly, the character has finally reached a point where the consequences of his decisions can meaningfully shape his future, rather than simply serving as another stepping stone towards becoming an Avenger.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an exciting new chapter in that development. Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s thrilling blockbuster allows Holland plenty of opportunities to explore a different side of Peter Parker, while maintaining the spectacular action and humor audiences expect. It is arguably the strongest installment of Holland's Spider-Man series so far. However, despite its success, Marvel still needs to explore one particular direction if it wants to get the absolute best out of its web-slinger.

Spider-Man Still Hasn't Had A Movie Without Working With Other MCU Characters

One of the defining characteristics of Holland's Spider-Man has been his relationship with the wider MCU. Unlike Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's interpretations, who largely operated independently of other superheroes, Holland's Peter Parker was introduced as part of an already-established superhero community. His first appearance in Captain America: Civil War established his connection to Tony Stark, with the billionaire becoming Peter's mentor throughout Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War.

Tony's influence provided an interesting alternative to the traditional Uncle Ben relationship, allowing Marvel to explore Peter's desire for approval from somebody he considered a genuine hero. However, it also meant that Peter's introduction to superhero life was heavily dependent on another character.

Spider-Man: Far From Home brought Nick Fury into the story, while Spider-Man: No Way Home featured Doctor Strange and a swathe of legacy Spider-Man characters. It was an enormously entertaining cinematic event, but it also meant that Holland's third solo movie was arguably his least independent adventure.

Brand New Day continues the tradition, albeit with a different assortment of familiar faces. Frank Castle, AKA the Punisher, is an important part of Peter's latest adventure, while Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner and Florence Pugh appears as Yelena Belova. These characters certainly have defined narrative purposes beyond simply showing up for the sake of recognition.

Nevertheless, the pattern is difficult to ignore. Across four solo movies, Holland's Spider-Man has shared significant screen time with numerous established characters. While he's garnered might be an impressive collection of guest appearances, it’s hard not to wonder if Spider-Man will ever get a truly solo adventure.

Brand New Day Was The Best Use Yet Of Spider-Man's MCU Setting

Credit: MovieStillsDB

Importantly, this isn't necessarily a criticism of Brand New Day. If anything, Destin Daniel Cretton's movie proves that Marvel can incorporate its wider universe without allowing established characters to overwhelm the story. It certainly makes considerably better use of its supporting superheroes than No Way Home, which occasionally struggled to balance its emotional narrative with the excitement of bringing together so many familiar faces.

The difference is that Brand New Day has a much clearer understanding of what Peter's story needs. Following the events of No Way Home, everybody has forgotten Peter Parker exists, leaving him without the relationships that previously defined his life. His isolation is central to the narrative, and Holland gets plenty of opportunities to explore the emotional consequences of sacrificing his personal happiness to protect the people he loves.

That makes the inclusion of the Punisher particularly effective. Rather than introducing Frank Castle simply because audiences recognize Jon Bernthal's character, the narrative establishes an entertaining dynamic between two fundamentally different approaches to superheroism.

Bruce Banner's inclusion in Brand New Day is similarly appropriate, with Peter experiencing changes to his physiology. Banner's scientific knowledge and personal experience with an uncontrollable alter ego make him a logical person to consult. Yelena's appearance is comparatively brief, but Florence Pugh brings plenty of personality to her scenes without demanding that the movie divert attention towards the wider MCU.

The important distinction is that these characters contribute to Peter's development rather than simply reminding audiences that they're watching another installment of a larger franchise. Despite its extensive supporting cast, the most compelling material involves Peter, MJ, and Ned.

Spider-Man Should Still Get A True Standalone MCU Movie

There's no reason Marvel needs to abandon crossovers altogether. The interconnected nature of the MCU is one of its greatest strengths, and Spider-Man's comic-book history is filled with memorable team-ups involving other superheroes. Peter Parker has fought alongside the Avengers, teamed up with Daredevil, and developed friendships with characters occupying completely different corners of the Marvel universe.

Those relationships are worth exploring, but they shouldn't be an obligatory feature of every solo adventure. The ending of No Way Home created an especially interesting opportunity to change direction with Peter is now completely alone, without Tony Stark's technological resources, the Avengers' support network, or even his closest friends knowing who he is.

That opens the door to a more grounded story built around Peter, a compelling villain, and the people closest to him. Rather than another world-threatening crisis, Marvel could explore the pressures of balancing superhero responsibilities with Peter's ordinary life, with several quintessential aspects still missing.

The Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, the citizens of Queens, and the neighborhoods Peter regularly protects are all essential parts of Spider-Man's identity. His relationships with MJ and Ned, meanwhile, offer a particularly rich source of drama following the events of No Way Home. There's plenty to explore without needing to introduce another superhero to explain the stakes.

Brand New Day proves that Holland can carry a compelling Spider-Man story while sharing the screen with other MCU characters. His next challenge should be doing so without them. Marvel has spent four movies establishing Spider-Man's place in its interconnected universe; now it should give him the freedom to occupy his own corner of it.